Second Story
by Kunisaki
Summary: Reapers aren't meant to feel, we just kill. A boy transfers to the rich school, he's smile is kind and friendly. Not what Hikaru thinks, he finds him really, really odd.
1. Back again New start of a year

Ouran High School Host Club – Second Story

_Author: Kunisaki_

Disclaimer: I don't own Ouran High School Host Club, that's quite... imposible.

* * *

-- Chapter I – Back Again/New Start of A Year –

"_Two years._

_Two years has passed since the first time I've been there._

_Ouran Academy,_

_I wonder if the place is still the same school, and I wonder if the class I've been gone from is what it used to be._

* * *

Ouran High School Academy, a school for rich people. People in high class positions and wealthy.

This school was somewhat different and difficult for a commoner to be in.

It's at the beginning of a new school year, and as always the school's workers warmly welcome the students to the New Year.

Some new students had entered the school; most of them were rich kids.

Haruhi Fujioka, a student of the academy, a commoner who managed to enter the school as a special student with a school solarship.

She sighed deeply, as the start of the ceremony passed by.

"A new start of year, huh?" she said with a low voice, _- Looks like I'll soon meet the other again. -_

Somehow she looked annoyed when she thought of those persons who had completely stuck around with her last year. Yes, she started at Ouran High School for around a year ago, and she was now beginning her second year.

Even though, she hadn't seen those annoying people yet.

"These are the new students who managed to enter our school, please be welcoming and open for them all."

And with that, the new year of school had begun.

* * *

"Crap! I'm late, how could I not have notice the time!!"

Running with fast speech through the streets and forwards the main way of the city, grasping after the air like a maniac when a traffic light has turned red.

The person looked at the watch around the left hand.

_- Shit! 9:49 a.m.! I'll never make it!! –_

The light turned green, and the person sat up the speech on high again.

Running with all what takes and ahead to the gate of a wealthy High School.

The gate had a mark that symbols the school's name.

_'O-R'_ as in '_Ouran High School Academy'._

* * *

"Hm-Mm, guess I should head towards the class by now."

Haruhi picked up her bag, as she walked in the hallway. She still hadn't seen one sight of the host clubs members.

She had been with those guys last year, and only because of her carelessness. That was why she became a host herself. Even though she was a girl, everyone addressed her as a boy. Well, it wasn't difficult for her to look like a guy, since her chest was flat as a board, and her brown hair was cut short in a boy haircut.

The only persons, who knew she was a female, were the host club itself.

At first, she hated that club and all most everything about it, but as the time went by she began to like the host club bit by bit. And in the end of the school year, she'd found out that she loved the club.

The host club was about some handsome guys who gave hospitality to lovely women, who had free time. They spent their time to charm and bring fortunes to the ladies.

Haruhi didn't even mind to listen to girls chit-chats, it's what she had done since she joined the club.

As she walks in the hallway deep in thoughts, she turned around a corner.

But she didn't realize that something, no, someone would bump into in her, and caused her to snap back from her mind while falling backwards.

"Ow! That hurts…!" Haruhi rubs her head's back, as she looked up to find out what had hit her so badly.

"Huh?" She founds a boy who also was rubbing the back of his head.

It seemed that the boy was in the same height as her. His hair was dark, or rather pit black. It was short, but kinda messed up. Maybe the boy hadn't fixed the morning hair yet? He hadn't even one of those uniforms the other students have on. Maybe he was a commoner like her? He wore an autumn green sweater that looks too big for his thin body, and a white shirt underneath it. Deep blue jeans were what he wore on his legs, and the shoes were some normal track shoes. As she looked up at the boys face, a cross that was hanging on his left ear was what she caught with her eyes.

"Sorry! I was kinda in a rush, here let me help ya up…"

The brown haired girl looked then away from the cross and at the boys face, as he stood up on his feet.

He somehow looked like a girl, but not very much then herself.

The boy reached out his hand in front of the observing girl, which made Haruhi to shake her head and take the hand as accepting the help.

She looked at the black haired boy's eyes. They were cat-like and slightly light brown, or more yellow like.

He smiled, as he figured out that the cross-dresser was looking deep in his eyes. That caused some small red aperients to cross the brown-haired's face.

Well, he was actually a bit higher than her.

"Um, it should be me who's apologizing, since I was careless. And thanks."

The boy smiled again.

"Nah, it shouldn't. And you're welcome."

* * *

"Welcome once again to this new year of Ouran High School Academy. Now, please wait as I call you up. Please take the seat I decide for you to sit on."

As the hometeacher called up the students' names and gave them their seats, Haruhi came over to the classroom.

"You're late Haruhi, you know that?" She looked up at the redhead, whose hair was parted the right. He stood beside her with an expression of emotionless, _if that's an expression._

"Sorry then, Hikaru. But it happens to be that something got in the way." She simply said, as she stared back at him.

"Whatever it was, you're here now." Another boy appeared on her other side. He looked exactly like the boy who was just talking to her. The only different was that his hair parted the left. He smiled as he came beside her.

"So, think there's gonna be something interesting this year?" He asked, while looking at Haruhi and Hikaru.

"Who knows, Kaoru… Maybe this year is going to be boring…" Hikaru simply answered, while he placed his hands on the back of his head.

Soon, all the students inside the class got their seats. Haruhi sat in the third line middle. That appeared she's sitting in the middle of the class. Hikaru was sitting beside her on her left; Kaoru was placed beside his brother. As they were about to begin the class, someone knocked on the door, which made everyone to turn their head right and look at the door.

"Come in."

The door opened, and a boy stood by the door frame. _His hair was black and short._

Haruhi realized that the boy who stood there, was the one who met her at the hallway for not too long ago. Why did he come here?

"Sorry for being late, madam." The voice sounded calm, as he apologized for his lateness. He bowed down with politeness.

"Are you one of the new students? What is your name, young man?"

"The name's Kunisaki Valor, and yes, I'm one of the new ones." He answered without a disturbing attitude. He was rather politely.

The class kept staring at the new appeared student. He looked like a commoner with those wears. Haruhi blinked with her huge brown eyes, as the boy waited patiently for the teachers answer.

"Kunisaki, hmmm…" the teacher said thoughtfully.

"Oh, you mean you're Kunisaki-kun who has come back to Ouran, it's a surprise that you're back. Why, welcome!"

"Thanks, Miss Mizawaya. You're always as cheerful as I remember." Kunisaki said with polite and had a smile on his lips.

'_Back? Wait! Does it mean that…!?' _Haruhi stopped blinking with her eyes.

She was surprise to know that this boy have been in Ouran before, but when?

Haruhi looked over at the two twins. They seemed somehow shocked. '_Does those two know something? And if they do, what is it then?'_

The cross dresser stared back at the boy called Kunisaki, which caused the boy to look at her.

And as he did, he smiled kindly back at her.

_Who__ was __this__ guy__?_

* * *

_Erh... there's nothing much to say, I guess? So reviews, please? X3_


	2. New but yet familiar

Chapter II – New But Yet Familiar

Haruhi stopped blinking with her eyes.

She was surprise to know that this boy have been in Ouran before, but when?

Haruhi looked over at the two twins. They seemed somehow shocked. '_Does those two know something? And if they do, what is it then?'_

The cross dresser stared back at the boy called Kunisaki, which caused the boy to look at her.

And as he did, he smiled kindly back at her.

_Who was this guy?_

* * *

As the class kept staring at the new arrived student, the twins blinked with their amber eyes in unison.

They hadn't seen this person before. And if they had, they wouldn't even remember him.

Not only the twins were confused, but the whole class was too. Except for Haruhi, she had only been in this school for one year.

"Kunisaki-kun, you can sit beside Kaoru-kun. If you don't remember him, he's the one who sits in the third line almost next to the window."

It looked like the teacher was the only one, who could remember this odd boy in poor cloth. As Kunisaki walked over to his seat beside the younger redhead, he pulled the chair backward and sat on it. He looked like he didn't even care where he was sitting, and started to watch out through the window next to him.

The teacher began to continue the class.

"Very well now, let's begin."

It was very odd indeed.

The students in 11th grade A couldn't stop have the thought of the weird-looking commoner in their class. The weirdest thing for them was that he already had been in Ouran High before, and now he's suddenly back again. They all couldn't call back the memories of this boy.

It was like they hadn't even met him before.

They didn't know, and they couldn't find out why.

* * *

The time passed by, and the students headed to the cafeteria since it was lunch. Haruhi didn't usually eat in the school's cafeteria. She preferred to sit with her lunchbox alone and quiet in the classroom. However this time, she went over to where all the other students were, when they had lunch.

"Haruhi! Over here!!"

The brown haired girl looked around the huge eating room, until her eyes caught two waving hands in her sights. Two boys were sitting together at a long table with only themselves. They looked awfully alike.

"Hi," was the only thing that went out of her mouth, when she came over to the twins.

"So, what do you have for lunch?" the two mirror images said in unison, as they waited for the girl to respond.

"Nothing special, just some fried eggs and boiled rice with vegetables and chicken."

As the trio began to enjoy they lunch, some loud noises behind them became louder and louder. Haruhi turned around to see what it was that was so annoying noisy.

"Well well, looks like…-" Hikaru said with annoyance in his voice, "…- those weirdoes are at it again." Kaoru finished the sentence with the same annoyance as his elder twin. Haruhi raised an eyebrow, as she looked back at the two identical boys.

"What?" she asked as in _'Tell me something that I don't know about this situation.'_

"Well, those guys are the worse. They always keep bullying the weakest students here, especially when those weak students are new." The elder one said as it was the simplest thing to talk about.

"And since there are new ones who have started here, they'll enjoy their lame pranks they do against them, but not like it bothers us." Those words came from the younger one, exactly with the same tone as the other one.

"Well, you two know how to do pranks on others in a critical stage…" Haruhi said with annoyance in her voice.

"Thanks for the comments!" the Hitachiins said smiling, ignoring the girl's tone of a sarcastic voice.

But Haruhi did wonder about something, _'I thought that bullying was illegal here at Ouran?'_ She looked back to where the noises came from.

Three guys from high school D grade, obviously the guys were those who Hikaru and Kaoru talked about.

Then she looked over at the one who was their victim. Haruhi's eyes began to grow bigger, _as if they weren't big enough,_ when she saw someone she knew only for a quite time.

"Speaking highly, huh? Who gave you to permission to talk so lightly!?" the voice spat out.

The owner of this voice pulled on the hair of their victim. The small boy had his hands grabbed around the wrist of the hand, which was dragging at his dark colored hair.

"Che! Is that the best threatening words you got?" The boy said with a smirk on his lips, no fear overcame him. "And here I thought you could bring something more dangerous than that."

Haruhi saw that the one, who was fighting with three bullying students, was none-the-less Kunisaki who just began in her class.

'_Is he that stupid, or what!?' _Haruhi thought, and was about to rise from her chair and stop this fight this instant.

But someone got up first and shoved her back at the seat again, causing her to look up at the elder Hitachiin.

He walked directly over to those three guys.

"Looks like you up to something painful, you little midget!!"

Before the guy could hit in the face of the smaller boy, the hit was taking off from a grip on the fist. Then the eyes laid on the one who had stopped the hand from punching the irritating brat. Annoyance glared from the elder twin's eyes as he watched at the moron in front of his sights.

"Hey. I don't remember about that someone gave _you_ the right permission to punch folks in the face." Hikaru kept piercing at the so-called jerk.

The guy in front of him was about to yell something at him. But without a second thought, the redhead shoved the hand of the other backwards, causing it to crack when he did. The other yelped and muttered some cursing word at him, as Hikaru simply let go of the grip. No affections were on his face.

"Just wait!" With that, the three escaped from the cafeteria. They crossed past by the redhead and went through the doors.

"Jerks…" The word went through Hikaru's mouth, as he saw the doors keep flipping in and out.

Then he focused on the small guy behind him, asking; "Hey, you're alright?" he looked at the small looking character, who was sitting on the floor with blinking eyes. He stared in amazement at the exit.

"Yeah, I guess, thanks Hikaru-kun." The guy answered and looked up at the elder twin, directly at his cat-looking amber eyes. That cause Hikaru to fling himself back, an uncomfortable feeling rose above his head.

But then something hit him on the head, as he realized something. "Wait, did you just call me Hikaru? How did you know that I wasn't…-?"

"Hikaru!" The elder one of the twins turned his head to see his younger brother running up to him.

Haruhi had also followed from behind.

"Well done, brother!" Kaoru said cheekily, and smiled innocently at his mirror image.

"Well, I guess so." Hikaru said with a bright grin on his lips, tucking his hands in his pockets.

Then Kaoru turned his head down on the floor and watched at sitting black haired boy. "Are you doing well, Kunisaki-kun? Here let me help you up." He reached out his hand in front of the small figure, which made the boy called Kunisaki to give in and accept the hand of the younger Hitachiin.

"Arigatou, Kaoru-kun." Kaoru lifted up the little dark haired boy up on to his standing, a small smile appeared on his lips. That sort of caused Hikaru to feel the uncomforting feeling again…

Kaoru looked at the boy for a moment, then he realized something was familiar.

"Well, I'll be going then. See you guys in class. And thanks again!" Kunisaki began to walk towards the exit of the cafeteria.

Kaoru stood staring with the two others. He kept blinking with his amber eyes, as the boy passed by the doors.

"I know that smile…"

* * *

_Well, that turned out-... ARG! I don't even know! But thanks for even reading it, answers about Kunisaki will be told in later chapters, or maybe not?_

_Oh well! Thanks for your time, and please send some more reviews!_

_:D_

_- Kunisaki_


	3. Meeting the rest

Chapter III – Meeting the Rest

"Arigatou, Kaoru-kun." Kaoru lifted up the little dark haired boy up on to his standing, a small smile appeared on his lips. That sort of caused Hikaru to feel the uncomforting feeling again…

Kaoru looked at the boy for a moment, then he realized something was familiar.

"Well, I'll be going then. See you guys in class. And thanks again!" Kunisaki began to walk towards the exit of the cafeteria.

Kaoru stood staring with the two others. He kept blinking with his amber eyes, as the boy passed by the doors.

"I know that smile…"

* * *

_-- Three days after –_

The classes went by soon enough, like the time has jumped or gone faster. Some of the students went home, some of them didn't.

They were going to have club time after class.

As known, the twins had walked over to the host club.

Haruhi was still at the library, reading some book for homework tomorrow.

The brown-haired closed the book that she was finished with. She turned her head to the clock behind her.

_- Hmm, I guess I'm not going to be late for club. There's still a half hour. – _Reason? The students from 11th A have gotten earlier free from school today.

Haruhi sat the book down in her bag, and walked out of the huge library. As she walked down the halls, she noticed a boy sitting on one of the window flames, while he stared outside at the school's courtyard.

"Kunisaki-kun, aren't you going home yet?" the cross-dresser asked.

The boy turned his gaze from the window, looking at the brown head. He smiled to her. Haruhi wondered why he smiled that much.

"I guess I didn't feel like to do so. Besides, I can't go yet." He simply answered with a sigh.

He jumped off the windowsill and stood in front of her. "Calling persons by the surname is kinda stiff... would 'Valor' just be fine?"

Haruhi thought about it, but then agreed since he asked for it. "Okay then, Valor-kun. Are you just gonna sit here all the time then?"

Valor looked at her again; his smile became a grin instead. "Of cause not, I have to take care of my home. But since we finished the class too early, I have to wait for my sister to finish her classes too. I kinda have forgotten my keys at home."

- _Oh, so that's why. And he has a sister here? – _Haruhi thought to herself, she didn't even know why she would talk to this guy, why did she care? Why does she even want to know him, since he's a completely stranger in the class? Well, that's not true. The teacher told them that he was a student here before, but the class didn't seem to remember.

"So Haruhi-kun, why are you here and not at home?" The black head spoke, which caused Haruhi to flip from her thoughts.

Oh yeah, she had been talking and wondering that she had forgotten the time.

"Shit! I forgot the club time!" the girl said frustrated and turned to run towards the clubroom.

But before she ran off, she turned her head to look at Valor. '_Should I, or not? Oh well, it's not like there would be trouble if he's hanging around.'_

"Valor-kun, would you like to come to the host club? But only if you would like to. I'm just asking if it was interesting, you could skip the waiting time like that."

Valor blinked a bit at the girl, as he found it how fast she had accepted him.

"Sure, why not." He responded gladly and walked up to Haruhi. They ran off to the host club.

* * *

As everyone got themselves ready for the club to open, decorations of roses were almost everywhere.

The club members hurried up to do the rest of it done.

When they finished up, they could finally call the host club for open.

Except for one thing.

"Where's Haruhi?" A tall blond asked the twins, "I thought that she would come with you guys. So why isn't she here?"

The two redheads looked at the host king, as he had spoken to them.

"We don't know Milord, maybe she's still at the library, we guess." The two said in unison.

"Okay everyone, get ready. We're opening the club now." Another guy said, pushing his glasses back up to its position.

"B-but! Everyone's not here, we still don't have Haruhi here yet!" the blond cried out loud at his black-haired friend.

"Tamaki, she isn't coming to the time, so we're just going to start the club, while we are waiting for her." The black-haired said calmly to the blond.

The king nodded then and turned for his position, as the rest got themselves ready.

* * *

Haruhi walked down the halls with Valor behind her.

Soon, they had arrived to the entry of the third music room, _the host club's room._

"So, this is it." The brown-haired said, as she turned her around to look at the boy.

"This is the host club's room, but to give you a warning, the members are some weirdoes. But don't be nervous about that."

Valor looked at her, as she said that. _Those were some weirdoes?_ He shrugged his shoulder. Well, it didn't mind him though.

"Okay, let's go then." Haruhi grabbed the doorknob and pushed down, the door opened and rose-leaves where flying through the doors. _Kami-sama, do they really have to make those rose effects? _She thought annoyed.

"Irasaimase!" A group of guys said perfectly at the same time.

They watched the two students who were standing at the doorway. They saw the brown-haired girl they have known from last year.

"Oh, it's just Haruhi." The twins said with an emotionless expression.

And they had just prepared themselves, because they thought there would be some costumers.

"HARUHIIII!!" the blond shouted out dramatically, as he jumped over to her with welcoming arms. "I have missed you since-…!!" Haruhi blocked his hug, as her hand had reached out to stop him. His face was pushed away from her.

"Get a grip, Sempai. We saw each other at the club yesterday, remember? Don't overreact about being away from me."

"But, Haruhi!" the blond cried again out loudly.

"Like I said, get a grip!" she snapped, as she stared in annoyance at him. The host king fled into a corner of the room, starting to gloom in his sadness.

Some things didn't change, except for Haruhi had gotten a bit stricter at the blond-haired.

"Haru-chan, long time no see!" A little boy said with a huge smile. His hair was also blond and he held a stuffed bunny plush in his arms.

Haruhi turned to look at him. She was glad to see him.

"Hani-sempai! What a surprise!" Haruhi said happily. "I thought you wouldn't be here any longer."

The blond boy smiled brightly, "But I am! I just have a part-time job here as a teacher, so I'm still a member of the host club! Takashi is also a teacher here! We're starting today!"

Haruhi raised her head to see the tall guy besides Hani-sempai; He had an emotionless face on.

"It's nice to see you, Mori-sempai." She said cheerfully. The tall one began to smile a little, nodding as a respond.

As the friends had their conversations with each other, the black-haired, who came with Haruhi, was still standing by the opening.

He observed them, as they laughed and smiled over something.

"Would you like to come in?" Kaoru said with a calm voice. He walked over to the black head.

Valor looked at him for a second, and then smiled politely. "Sure, why not." He responded to the younger redhead.

"And who may this be?" The host king said kindly. He had regained himself again, and was now showing his prince-charm.

"Ah, this is Valor Kunisaki. He's one of the new students here." Haruhi answered to him, "This is Tamaki-sempai; he's the host club's founder." The girl stated to Kunisaki, while introduce the blond head.

"Here we got Hani-sempai and Mori-sempai." Valor looked over at the small teen and the tall one. He got a bit confused, when he saw them and lifted an eyebrow.

"You already know the twins from our class, so the last one is Kyouya-sempai."

A black teen smiled politely, as he placed his glass correctly. "A pleasure to meet you." Kyouya responded calmly.

Valor blinked when he saw the black-haired teen, but then turned towards the rest. "Nice to meet your all, the pleasure's on my side." He smiled friendly at the entire Host club.

The host king had a hand on his face as covering, he began to tremble, he looked like he was about to explode.

"HOW KINDLY OF YOU, KUNISAKI-KUN!! You're one nice person, and are filled with passion in every single word you speak!!" he stretched his arm out, and stood in a dramatically position. Roses were around him, as he talked.

"Excuse me?" Valor said confused, and looked blankly at the tall blond. "I didn't get that, sir."

"It's alright; you don't have to mind that. Besides a poor person like you must had a hard time to get to our brilliant rich school!" the blond clasped a hand on the black-haired boy's shoulder, as he let out something glittering at his perfect form.

Valor let out a sigh, glancing at the dramatically blond, "'Poor'? I still don't know what you're talking about. Besides, would you please let go? It's kind of uncomfortable." The host king however, didn't listen to what Valor said, as he continued on his babbling.

Haruhi sighed as well, "Let him go, sempai. He doesn't like that you keep on talking nonsense to him. It's oblivious that he's annoyed."

The blond stopped completely talking to the black head, as Haruhi's rude words have crossed through his mind. "H-Haruhi!! How can you talk like that to your daddy?!" he complained, while he rushed towards the brown-haired hostess.

Valor blinked with his amber eyes and raised an eyebrow; he turned his head over to the rest of the hosts in confusion.

"Daddy?" he asked confused. "What's that all about? Some kind of kids' play?"

The twins made their way to the now confused boy, and placed each arm on both shoulders, "It's a long story," they said in unison; their face were some kind of emotionless with their eyes half-lifted up.

"But say, why did you come here-…"the elder of them started asking.

"… -all alone with Haruhi?" The sentence was ended by the younger one. They stood and looked at boy in middle, still with their arms on his small, but solid shoulders.

"Nothing much, just got offered to come with Haruhi-kun, and answered thanks. That's all." The black head said outright. "Why did you ask?"

But before the twins could reply, the three blinked weirdly, as they could sense a tension of woe from the corner.

"Tamaki, stop sulking at your corner, the club's missing time, as the costumers waits outside the door." The black-haired teen called Kyouya said to the gloomy teen, as he pushed his glasses back and made them glint sharp lights.

Soon, Tamaki regained from Haruhi's scowls. Females were passing through the huge doors.

* * *

**--The Host Club is open--**

"Tamaki-sama, how has your summer vacation been?" a costumer asked with question-mark. She had designated for the Host King, also known as _the prince type._

Tamaki turned his gaze at the girl in a lovely way, looking at her with longing eyes. "It was great. Though, I had to wait for eternity to let me see this beautifulness of yours once again." Tamaki lifted her chin upward, as he held his hand on the side of her cheek. "I feel anymore better now when you're around, my princess." The female blushed by his actions, and melted of the touching words. "Oh, Tamaki-sama!"

"So wonderful!" The girls around him shrieked. Hearts were appearing on their eyes and flying around the crowd.

Not so far off, sat the black-haired boy on a couch and watched the dramatic blond do his performers.

He raised an eyebrow, while he held a cup of green tea in his hand.

"So, this is what the host club is about?" Valor asked bluntly, "To enjoy the females?"

Haruhi, who also sat on a couch before him, poured some tea in her own cup.

"Yup, it is. But it isn't that bad. You'll get used to this, if you would become a host yourself."

"Don't you mean you have to?" Valor asked once again.

Haruhi looked at him before answering, she couldn't tell if he was insulting with that face he made. "Well, I guess you could say that."

"VALVAL-CHAN!!" The boy got shocked by the flying little teen's wrapping arms, and almost spilled the hot tea all over the floor. "Ne, say, say! Is it right that you're in class with Haru-chan, Hika-chan and Kao-chan?"

Valor looked confused at the little blond, seeing pink flowers flying around him. The black head patted the top of his head, "That's true. But tell me, why would a guy like you be here in this club, anyway? Aren't you finished with the senior class last year?"

All the host members looked surprised at Valor, how did he knew that Hani-sempai wasn't a little first-year boy?

Mitsukuni just smiled, "Well, I'm a part-time teacher here, I'll be 11th A's new ones!" he said cheerfully, as he smiled brightly.

"Ah, that must mean you'll be my sensei, right?" Valor pointed out at the fact, a small smile appeared on his lips. "Guess I would call you Hani-'sensei' instead."

"Valor-kun," The brown haired female watched surprised at the teen, "How come you would know that Hani-sempai is older than he looks?"

"Eh?" The said teen turned towards the girl, "Well, I heard your conversation with each other. Something about Hani-sempai being a teacher, and he doesn't look like a complete adult. So, I sorta guessed?"

'_That explains a lot. Guess he comes along with Hani-sempai very good and in a normal way though.'_ Haruhi watched the two talking about any other things than cake and sweets. The conversation had more normal questions and answers.

On the other side, the twins were designated by some few females, or their own fan girls as being correctly. Kaoru had turned his head over at Haruhi and Valor's location. He thought that those two looked like each other somehow, except for Valor's smiling a lot. But they only knew Valor by short time, so they wouldn't be sure of course. Still it bugged him to not understand that the teen had been here before, and he was even in the _same_ class with them in that time.

"Kaoru-kun, is there something bothering you?" One of the girls asked worriedly, causing the younger twin to turn back at what he was doing before.

He came up with a gentle smile on his features.

"Oh, it's nothing! I was just wondering about things." Kaoru said truthfully, laughed a bit nervously.

Hikaru watched his twin in confusion, and then turned the look over to where Kaoru had been gazed at.

'_Ah, Haruhi and Kunisaki, huh?_' he thought nonchalantly.

_'I don't get it, he doesn't seem to be familiar to me, but he's kinda creeping me out.'_

* * *

Yup, Valor has a sister, younger than him. (Find more out later!) I don't still get why Mitsukuni calls Valor for Valval-chan, and I'm the F.R.E.A.K.I.N.G writer!!

I'll shut up now...


	4. Not what we thought

Chapter IV – Not What We Thought

"Kaoru-kun, is there something bothering you?" One of the girls asked worriedly, causing the younger twin to turn back at what he was doing before.

He came up with a gentle smile on his features.

"Oh, it's nothing! I was just wondering about things." Kaoru said truthfully, laughed a bit nervously.

Hikaru watched his twin in confusion, and then turned the look over to where Kaoru had been gazed at.

'_Ah, Haruhi and Kunisaki, huh?_' he thought nonchalantly.

'_I don't get it, he doesn't seem to be familiar to me, but he's kinda creeping me out.'_

* * *

It was almost midnight at the time.

A boy was sitting on the roof of an enormous mansion, thinking though the previous days' events.

His eyes stared at the free-clouded sky. The stars were so clear tonight, and there were so many of them. The wind blew through his hair, as he remained his sight at the pale moon.

A phone ringed inside the room close to him, and he flipped himself of the roof to land his feet on the balcony under him.

The boy got inside, as he walked through the open glass door and picked up his cell phone.

He flipped it open, looking at the caller's name. There was a strange symbol on the phone screen. Looks like he has some work to do.

"Yes?" He said emotionlessly, the teen held no expression on the face.

The person from the other side of the conversation talked, as teen stood silently on the floor, and then he nodded after hearing about the full planning.

"Understood." He replied before hung up the phone.

He sighed, as he kicked off his shoes and went over to clear himself and get ready to sleep.

* * *

"Greetings, Haruhi!" the twins greeted her, as they walked in the class and took their seats.

The commoner girl looked up and smiled, "Good morning."

The class was about to start the first lesson. The students were going to have Math on the day first.

Kaoru sighed tiredly. This subject wasn't his favorite and he hasn't slept well last night.

Hikaru seemed to be enjoying this. After all, Math was _his_ great side. Though, he didn't get along with English lessons, which was the next subject.

Kaoru on the other hand liked English as his interested subject at school, and liked to read English literatures, as he usually uses metaphors into perspectives of their life.

But there was one person who didn't come in through the doors, and Haruhi turned around to look after if he was in the room. "Where's Valor-kun?" she asked a bit concerned.

"Don't know, but since when did you care so much for him anyway?" The elder twin asked, an emotionless face was planted on and his eyes were half-lifted up.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow and responded back annoyed, "Since I became friends with him these previous days."

Hikaru turned away, getting a bit mocked by the girl's retorted words at him.

Kaoru glanced at his brother in a quick look from the corner of his eyes.

The teacher had come into the classroom, as she put down her bag on the desk.

"Good Morning class. Please turn to the pages you were working on last time, and continue from there."

The class turns to the pages and began to work on their exercises. Hikaru wrote on his papers and solved the tasks properly, but Kaoru was slow on the job as he was tired and just wanted this subject to end.

The commoner girl worked well on the tasks, but she looked up from the desk in front of her some few times.

She still wondered why Valor hadn't showed up yet.

The half of the lesson had passed, and a knock on the doors came through the silence. The teacher turned around and answered. "Come in!"

The door opened, and a boy stood behind it. "Sorry that I'm late. My driver was sick today, so I had to run to school."

The teacher raised an eyebrow, but nodded in understanding. "Alright, just take your seat and work on what you did last time."

The boy nodded and walked towards his seat besides Kaoru, picking up his Math book from the rucksack.

He wore a cross on his left ear. His hair not-so-messed today, and he wore a blue jacket, a pair of black trousers and black polish shoes, which was the uniform for high school guys in Ouran Academy.

Haruhi blinked. _Why was Valor wearing that? Moreover, where did he get it?_

* * *

Soon when the class was over, the cross-dresser turned her eyes on the calm sitting boy beside the younger twin.

Valor stared dreamily at the sky and kept tapping his green pen against his lower lip.

Then he felt someone staring at him, and saw two huge brown eyes looking at him with amazement.

He grinned, "Konichiwa, Haruhi-kun." The boy said in a tone of politeness, and placed the pen down on the table.

The girl kept blinking at him, "Konichiwa, Valor-kun."

And here she thought that he must had been a commoner. Now she finds out that he isn't.

"I didn't know that you were… what's it called? Rich? And why is it that you're wearing the high school uniform now, and not before?"

Valor held the 'Cheshire Cat'-grin on, sitting more properly on the chair, "So many questions, that's so like you Haruhi-kun."

The Hitachiin twins turned their gazes at each other, as they sat in the middle of exchanging conversations moving from side to side. Slightly curious, they glanced at Valor to hear more about it.

The said teen's grin turned into the normal smile, which he almost sent each time he talked to someone.

"But I don't think it matters, being rich or common doesn't necessary mean different looks." The black head said, but then lowered his voice a bit.

"Besides, I was forced to wear the uniform and to look more properly."

Before Haruhi could reply any sentence, there were soon other students around the black-haired. Valor turned glances to different places, getting confused by the sudden crowd standing everywhere near him. They were all female students.

"Kunisaki-kun, can I ask you about something?" one girl asked shyly.

Valor made a grimace and lifted up his eyebrow.

_'These girls must come from the B-class, since I haven't seen them before_.' He thought, while wondering why they all were here in the A-class' room.

"Yeah, of course." He said calmly, smiling politely at the female. "What is it that you ask for, miss?"

The girl blushed deeply, as Valor's courteously words had rung inside her head. "W-well, we wanted to know if you were interested in some sort of romance, since some of us saw you in the library reading romance stories some days before." she shuddered nervously.

Valor smiled softly at the females. "Well, sure I am. It's nice to read about stories with deep meanings, which wakes amazing feelings inwardly. I love to read English literatures, they're really fundamental once you get to understand them, and find them rather touching."

The girls blushed a deep red color on their faces, and were wordless at Valor's deep thinking speech.

They blinked with their eyes, and hearts seemed to fly higher above them.

They suddenly screamed, and couldn't hold on what they have comprehended from the new kind of gentleman.

Valor was really confused now, and a question mark was clear on his face. Though the girls were blinded about his _'charm'_, it looked like he completely unaware of what was happening.

Hikaru glared at the black-haired. '_First he got Haruhi to become friends with, and then he flirts with the other girls.'_

Some for the females were the customers from the host club.

"What a show-off." He muttered annoyed, crossing his arms on his chest.

Kaoru glanced at his twin, wondering why Hikaru would say that. Kaoru knew that Valor didn't know what he was doing or why the girls were around him.

Guess he was a talented gentleman by the ladies, without knowing it so. All he talked about before was about literatures.

* * *

It was lunch time now, and Hikaru had dragged Haruhi along with him and his twin towards the cafeteria.

The younger twin seemed to be quiet, as he followed after the two teens.

Kaoru slowly ate his meal, as he took bite for bite from the fork he was holding. "Hikaru," he asked after swallowed the food in his mouth, "does something concern you?"

Haruhi glanced at the two twins, but she didn't mind to join the conversation.

Hikaru casually looked at his brother, staring at him with half-lifted eyes.

He was still a bit annoyed. "No, why do you ask?"

Kaoru just smiled back at him, "Nande mo nai." He responded, and began munching his meal once again.

Soon enough, a certain boy walked towards the three host members, as he asked the cross dresser with an _'excuse me'_. The commoner girl to turn around.

"Do you mind if I joined you guys?" Valor grinned, as he held on his lunchbox between his hands.

Haruhi smiled and responded, "Sure, of cause you can-…"

"Yes, we do mind it." Hikaru interrupted her with a cold reply.

Haruhi glared at the elder redhead, but then looked at Valor who seemed to be confused.

"Sorry about that. Hikaru didn't mean it, right?" she stared back at Hikaru with annoyed eyes, and Hikaru muttered under his breath.

"Yeah, right." He mumbled lowly.

Kaoru sighed slightly. He knew Hikaru still couldn't take it when a person gets too close for those who he cares about, and he quickly got childish whenever that happened.

"Just sit down Valor-kun, we don't mind it." Kaoru said politely, trying to make the moment more comfortable. He ignored the flashes of anger Hikaru was sending towards him.

Valor smiled then, and took the chair beside Haruhi and in front of Kaoru. He glanced at Hikaru a bit.

The elder twin seemed to be occupied with his meal.

The black head wondered what he had done to the guy, since Hikaru looked like he was pissed at him.

"You haven't told about your past here, right? Why was it that you moved school?" Haruhi asked curiously, Valor turned look at her and just smiled.

"Well, it's kinda difficult to explain. And it's a long story."

Haruhi blinked when she saw something in his expression, like he didn't really want to tell. She nodded instead. "But you don't mind that the class doesn't recognize you? Two years aren't that long."

Valor placed his fork down from his mouth, and answered her. "Not really, it happens all the time."

The teen chuckled a bit, turning the look at the hostess. "I don't really mind it, because I got used to be forgotten." He reassured the girl with a smile.

But Haruhi still frowned. '_He was usual forgotten?'_

"You know," Valor said cheerfully with a grin on his features, "It's no big deal."

Kaoru watched the two having a conversation, as a sentence went by his mind.

He had heard the words before, _' I don't mind it.'_

'_It's better that way…'_

* * *

_Okay, looks like I don't really have anything to say, so reviews please?_

_:D_

_- Kunisaki_


	5. Frustration

Chapter V – Frustration

The teen chuckled a bit, turning the look at the hostess. "I don't really mind it, because I got used to be forgotten." He reassured the girl with a smile.

But Haruhi still frowned. '_He was usual forgotten?'_

"You know," Valor said cheerfully with a grin on his features, "It's no big deal."

Kaoru watched the two having a conversation, as a sentence went by his mind.

He had heard the words before, _' I don't mind it.'_

'_It's better that way…'_

* * *

After the lunch time, Haruhi was sitting by her table in the classroom. While she picked up her books for the next lesson, a voice called her. She gazed up and saw one of the twins walking through the door.

"What's up, Haruhi?" he asked, as he moved towards his table.

"Hikaru," was the replied from the commoner girl. She blinked with her brown eyes in confusion. "Eh? Where's Kaoru?"

Hikaru sighed, as he sat down on his seat. "He said that he needed to find something important, and that he'll catch up later. Something about notes to the next English test." He answered in a bored tone, watched the brown head with half-lifted eyes.

Hikaru laid his forehead on his table. He groaned, as he quickly got impatient. "Gees, he's taking too long!"

On the stairs, Kaoru went upwards, as he was pacing quick steps.

_'How could I just have forgotten my notes at the Library!?' _He mentally face-slapped himself, as he was holding onto a briefcase in his palm.

He moved up at the stairs in a rush, not wanting to get late for class.

When he wasn't attentive, the notes fell from his briefcase, and went down at the long stairs. Kaoru panicked at once, as he cursed inwardly and moved down again. He quickly kneed down and grabbed after the notes, fumbling with the papers.

As he reached out for one of the sheets, a hand came in front of his own. Kaoru blinked with his eyes, while the note got lifted up from the ground. The redhead turned his head upward.

What he found was Valor, who was standing in front of him and waving the sheet at his face.

Valor smiled a large grin. "Need some help?"

"Eh, thanks." Kaoru said shortly, grabbing the note.

The black head kneed down and grabbed after the sheets, helping the redhead. Then as they got them all, Valor handed the papers with his hand.

"Thanks for the help." Kaoru smiled, showing his polite side. He took the notes and putted them in the briefcase he held.

"No problem, Kaoru-kun." Valor replied. Kaoru still wondered how the boy could tell which was which of the twins.

"How do you do it?"

"Huh?" Valor blinked with his amber eyes. "Do what?"

"How can you tell that I'm Kaoru, and not Hikaru?" the red-haired wasn't sure if it was just luck. There was more than that.

"I know you too well." The black-haired said simply, smiling in an innocent way.

"Eh?" Kaoru blanked at the stage, not sure if he heard it right.

* * *

Hikaru was losing his patience. He continued to throw glances at the door, watching up for each minute from his table. He lost his concentration as well, while he was worried about his brother. _'Why is he taking so long? The class has started for 15 minutes!'_

A knock came on the door, and Kaoru opened it quietly. The elder twin sighed in relief, when he saw his younger brother walking through the door frame.

But he wasn't so glad to see the black-haired behind him, and why was he even behind Kaoru?

Hikaru shook his head. It wasn't like they were following each other to the classroom. Maybe they just met one another by the door.

"Do you two have an excuse for this?" the teacher asked, lifting an eyebrow. He moved his glasses back to its position, waiting for the two to respond.

"Pardon us, sir. We kind of had an obstacle at the way to class." Valor said politely, as he smiled at the adult.

The teacher just nodded, returning towards the black board again. "Sit in your places."

Hikaru's face twitched. _'Oh, so Kunisaki was with Kaoru after all.'_

"Since we are going to spilt up the class in groups of two, Kunisaki-kun can work with Hitachiin-kun."

The teacher turned around, and looked at Kaoru, "If that's fine with you, Kaoru-kun."

The younger twin scratched the back of his neck, looking to the side.

He glanced at his brother for a second, and then turned back to the teacher. "Well, I guess."

"Then it's settled." Was the respond back, and Kaoru turned his eyes on Valor, finding that Valor did the same towards him.

A hard slam could be heard from the background between the two teens. They turned around in shock, as the hand, which had hit the table, was hardly pressed on the furniture. The rest of the class looked with widen eyes.

Haruhi stared at the teen beside her.

"Placing them _together!?_ Have you lost your mind!?" Hikaru raised his voice insolently, as he looked at the space between his twin brother and Valor, staring with narrowed eyes at the teacher.

"Hikaru," The brown-haired girl beside him said, trying to make him stop from doing unneeded acts.

But he ignored the warning in her voice, while his hand tied into a fist.

"I don't see it could be a problem. Since you and your brother have been together in every assignment, I do believe we could make a small change." The teacher looked sharply back at the angry teen.

Hikaru gritted his teeth. He didn't want to pair up with anyone who wasn't Kaoru, and he didn't want Kaoru to work with other than him.

This wasn't fair. And worst of all, his brother should work with that cheeky smiling creep, named Kunisaki!

And Kaoru _didn't even_ complain!!

"Fuck **'change'**!" And with that, Hikaru moved angrily through the door.

"Hikaru, wait!" Kaoru yelled after him. The door slammed shut by the elder brother.

Kaoru headed towards the door and quickly opened it. He ran after his twin without getting the permission to leave the classroom.

Haruhi shook her head slightly. She kind of knew that it would turn out like this.

Valor stood still, while the class talked with each other in small groups.

His absent gaze was on the place, where the twins had left.

There was no expression on his face either.

* * *

'_What's so special about him? He's just a stranger with an odd personality!'_

Hikaru walked outside, pacing back and forward in the courtyard.

Suddenly, Valor had come to the school, and had been acting all nice with his stupid smile on his stupid face. How could a person be so happy like him? It's all fake! He just wanted to be popular, to be accepted, to be a show-off!

There was something wrong about him and not just a little, but a major. He's acting so friendly towards everyone. Hikaru wasn't going to fall for that.

His smile was creepy, weird and just not normal.

Hikaru groaned in frustration, trying to calm down himself.

He needed to clear his mind, as he inhaled the fresh air. Talking a deep breath, he exhaled and sighed with closed eyes.

A hand came up to his shoulder, grabbing after Hikaru. The redhead turned his face to see who it was.

"There you are...!" Kaoru grasped, using the grip on Hikaru's shoulder to hold himself up on the ground.

He turned his amber eyes at Hikaru's face, "Did you really have to go mad in the class before?"

Hikaru was about to protest, but his mouth got covered by a hand. Kaoru finally got his breath on a normal state. He looked seriously at his twin, "you don't even have a good reason to be."

The elder one turned his gaze away, narrowing his eyes. Kaoru could always tell.

"Hikaru, do you hate Valor?"

Hikaru looked at his brother again. "And if I do?"

Kaoru still held the grip on the shoulder, moving the other hand on his twin's other shoulder. "Why do you hate him? Of course, it's obvious to see that you don't like him, but why?"

Hikaru was about to yell it out, but then wondered why he did hate Valor.

Did he really hate him? But why the frustrating aches that came so suddenly?

He actually didn't know...

The younger one sighed, letting go of Hikaru's shoulders.

"Let's get back to the class... before they start wondering where we are." Kaoru turned around, as he walked away from the courtyard.

Hikaru stood still. his eyes looked on the grey ground.

He couldn't find any answers to this frustration he had. He couldn't find any conclusion to solve it off his mind. Hikaru didn't like Kunisaki. He got frustrated when he thought of him. But what does he know about Hikaru and Kaoru? Did they really have any connection to each other before? If they had, Hikaru guessed that it could be a really bad one then - more between him than Kaoru.

Seriously, how couldn't he hate this guy? Kaoru would probably ask the reversed way. _How could he hate him?_

Hikaru didn't really know. But somehow, there was this thing he had about the black head, like something he just knew from him.

The elder twin stopped to think about that confusing conclusion, before his head began to spin around.

He usually didn't thought so deep about things like this, so why should it be different?

He moved away from the courtyard, running after his younger twin.

* * *

_Hikaru's definitely disliking Valor, kinda rude of me to make it as it is._

_I don't have much to say, so I'll see you guys in next chapter._

_- Kunisaki_


	6. Unexpected

Chapter VI – Unexpected

_Seriously, how couldn't he hate this guy? But Kaoru would ask the reversed way. How could he hate him? Hikaru didn't really know, but somehow, there was this thing he had about the black head, like something he just knew from him._

_The elder twin stopped to think about that confused conclusion, before his head began to spin around. He usually didn't thought so deep about things like this, so why should it be different?_

_He walked away from the courtyard, running after his younger twin._

* * *

-- Past: two years ago --

"_So __Kaoru, if we started to join the host club, what are we going to do there?"_

_The boy turned his head from the table, looking back at the boy who talked to him. His mirror image stared outside the window, watching the courtyard below._

_Kaoru sighed a bit, looking back at his book. "Don't know brother, what are we suppose to do?"_

"_You know," his brother turned to look at him, "remember what that blond guy said? He wanted us to be all brotherly towards each other."_

_Kaoru narrowed his eyes, still reading the literature held in his hands. "He must have his head checked, maybe twice." The younger one of them responded, while he clapped the book closed. "Hikaru, are we going to join the club?" He asked afterwards, watching his brother with bored eyes._

_Hikaru turned his eyes towards the ceiling, then he opened his mouth. "We're only going to, because we're bored, right?"_

"_Yeah, right…" There was no other than the two brothers in the classroom, empty tables and chairs standing on row, the blackboard filled with doodles drawn on, and the twins sat alone in here, they always did._

_The time went by, and the class was about to start. Most of the females chatted with each __other, they giggled together as they talked about some good-looking guy from the other class above them. The boys was parted in groups, after what they had as interest, sports, computers, books and music, all parted in those different interests. The Hitachiin twins sat for themselves, still wanting to be with only one another._

"_Now class, please be quiet." The teacher said, while the students did other things than quiet._

_Kaoru watched outside of the window, staring at the sky in boredom. Hikaru kept doodling on his notes for the up-coming test, also bored by the usual routine in the class._

_The door went open, and the chairman of the school stood at the doorframe. "Any trouble, Miss Kaya?" He asked politely._

"_Mr. Suou! Of cause not." The teacher laughed nervously, waving at him. "Can I help you?" She asked afterwards, calming down herself._

"_Of cause, thank you. Can you and your class take care of this boy?" The chairman asked; his hand on the new boy's shoulder. The class' students went all quiet, when they saw the boy. Kaoru looked away from the window, and saw his brother looking at something else. The younger twin followed the elder's gaze, and then he saw what the whole class was watching._

"_He's a bit shy, so be friendly with him." As the chairman Suou had said that, he gave a little clap on the boy's small shoulder. The teacher smiled then, "Thank you Mr. Suou," she turned towards the new arrived boy, smiling friendly at him. "Now come here, and don't worry."_

"_Who is he?" some of the boys asked to each other in whispers, "Where's he from?"_

"_He's cute!" a girl said with a blush, and another female nodded in agreement. They smiled as they watched at where the new kid was standing. "Do you think we can get he's number?" Almost all the girls in the class giggled, some of them blushed as well._

_Hikaru and Kaoru grimaced towards each other, finding the girls silly and stupid._

"_Listen class, this is our new classmate Kunisaki, I want you to take care of him, alright?" Miss Kaya said with a smile, holding on the boy's shoulder. The boy watched the whole class with no emotions on his face, as he gazed with no interest in his amber eyes._

_He opened his mouth, a little thin smile on his lips, "Hi, a pleasure to meet you."_

* * *

"Ootori here." The black-haired third son replied, as he picked up the cell phone, answering a call.

"_Kyoya, I need your help!"_

Kyoya groaned inwardly in annoyance, "What is it, Tamaki?" he asked calmly, but cold.

"_It's about Kunisaki Valor."_

"Are you interested in the new student?" the black-haired replied, tapping further on his laptop. His glasses reflected the computer screen's light.

"_I just asked if you do have any information about him."_

"Tamaki, why don't you just look at the school's information site? You should have access to it, since you're the chairman's son?"

"_Well, I know that, but there is an obstacle."_

Kyoya blinked with his eyes as he lifted an eyebrow, but his glasses hided the expression. "What is the problem?" He asked calmly.

"_The problem __is that there isn't much information about Kunisaki in the school's site. The only information I got in Ouran Academy's system site is the name, age, which class and grades. Nothing about his background."_

'_That's unexpected…'_ The black-haired senior thought, "I've heard from the 11th A class, that Kunisaki had been in their class two years before, but unfortunately, they don't seem to remember so. As for the teachers, they seemed to perfectly recognize the uncommon student."

"_I guess so…"_

Kyoya sighed tiredly, closing his latop. "Let's discuss this later on, good-bye Tamaki."

"_Yeah, good-night Kyoya."_

* * *

"Hikaru, where are you taking me?" Kaoru asked, as his hand got pulled by his brother. They crossed over the street, walking further into the city.

The said teen just moved forward, walking pass the huge among of peoples, as he dragged the younger with him.

"Just wait and see…" he said afterwards, Kaoru blinked with he's eyes confused, but let his twin pull him towards the place Hikaru searched for.

Kaoru watched from side to side, as they passed many different shops. He looked forward; they were heading towards a huge cloth-store. Hikaru leaded Kaoru inside the building; he looked over his shoulder and smiled.

"Here we are!" they stopped up, and Kaoru blinked with his eyes.

"This?" he asked confused.

Hikaru grinned a bit, taking one of the clothes nearby. "Don't you recognize this?" he held the jacket in front of Kaoru, waving it at him.

Kaoru widened his eyes, "That's our mother's design!" he smiled in surprise, while grabbing after a pair of jeans. "I didn't know that they were already on sale!"

Hikaru lied down both of the piece of cloth, taking his twin's hand in his own, "Come on, there's more to show!" they moved towards the huge department of female's wear.

The elder redhead took one dress up, and showed it to his brother. He grinned, holding it between his two palms, "Say Kaoru, don't you think this would look great?"

Kaoru blinked with his eyes a bit; he looked up and down at the dress. "To whom?" he asked, not sure of Hikaru's state of the light blue-coloured dress.

Hikaru smiled then, "To Haruhi, of cause!" he stated gladly, and Kaoru widened his amber eyes, looking weirdly at his brother. Hikaru notice the look in the younger twin's eyes, "Or not? It's okay if it doesn't look that great."

"Hikaru," Kaoru said lowly, he sighed with closed eyes. "It's not the dress, it just…" he opened his eyes and saw his brother's concerned gaze on him.

"The dress was designed by you, right?" Kaoru said, looking at the dress again.

Hikaru grinned at his brother, "Yup, I'm surprised that mother would agree to make it. So, how do you think?"

Kaoru smiled a bit, "I think it's great, it will suit Haruhi perfectly."

"I knew it!" Hikaru's grin became wider, and he began to search for more cloth to match for the brown-haired girl. He stopped a bit and turned around, "Would you like to help me finding more dresses?"

Kaoru shook his head slightly, causing Hikaru to blink at him with an off-guard look. "Nah, you can do it without my help. I'll just sit and wait until you're done." He turned away before Hikaru could even protest his leaving. The younger redhead moved towards one of the comfortable chairs; he sat on it and gazed through the enormous window beside him.

"What the…?" Kaoru stated, while staring bewildered at the sorts of his caught attention. There people outside running, and it looked with they were running for their lives. But why?

He rose up from his chair, and stared with shocked eyes. The window in front of him crashed by a tremendous among of pressure, and he quickly bowed down, hiding his face from the shattered pieces of broken glass. The folks inside the building screamed and ran away, but Kaoru stood on his place, he couldn't move away as he stared outside with fear. The street was ruined, the road cracked up in two parts, cars kept on blinking with their lights and made noises, and people was running away with screams.

Hikaru heard the crash, from a little farer distance; he stopped his hand from giving the pay money and turned around with a bewildered expression. The checkout assistant suddenly ran out of the store, and Hikaru saw many people doing the same. He let go of the clothes he was about to buy, and ran strait looking for his twin.

"_Kaoru!"_ He called loudly, but folks were passing by him and blocked his sight. Hikaru panicked and tried to come between the among of people. "Damn it! _Kaoru!!!"_

_

* * *

_

Now what was that?! D:

See ya next time!


	7. It stops

Chapter VII – It stops

_Hikaru heard the crash, from a little farer distance; he stopped his hand from giving the pay money and turned around with a bewildered expression. The checkout assistant suddenly ran out of the store, and Hikaru saw many people doing the same. He let go of the clothes he was about to buy, and ran strait looking for his twin._

"_Kaoru!"__ He called loudly, but folks were passing by him and blocked his sight. Hikaru panicked and tried to come between the among of people. __"Damn it! __Kaoru!"_

* * *

'_What's going on!'_

Kaoru didn't understand what happened, it all came so suddenly. He couldn't move from where he was standing, his feet felt like frozen solidly on the broken glass filled floor.

People kept on pushing each other, trying to come out of this. It all happened so abruptly.

Kaoru couldn't clear his mind through it all, there were too many things that distracted him too much. He felt people pushing at him, and he couldn't see Hikaru anywhere. Where was he? Was he safe? Was he out of harm?

Kaoru was about to panic his mind out, he got pushed more and more further away from where he last time saw his brother.

He yelled in frustration, _"Hikaru!"_

"Kaoru!" The elder redhead shouted; he pushed roughly his way through the crowd, searching desperately after his twin; he refused to the fact that he wouldn't find Kaoru, and he kept on calling after him.

As he moved further, more people seemed to stand in his way.

Women's voices screamed terrified, as Hikaru got pushed on to the side.

They all tried to get out of the building, but the redhead wanted to move further into the assaulted store. Kaoru was still there somewhere, and Hikaru had a feeling of it, but he wasn't sure.

He knew that this could be dangerous, and there would be a disaster, but he didn't care. He needed to find Kaoru.

"KAORU!" he yelled, trying to make a respond from the younger one, but there was no success.

He still kept on, running further into the building. He ran at the halls, as he passed the huge windows on his right side. Abruptly, the windows crashed, and the redhead kneeled down, hiding the face.

He quickly looked up in shock, and found the glass shattered everywhere. It was surprising for Hikaru that he did not panic at this situation, but he would care less. He got on his feet again, and ran further down the halls; the sweat ran down from his forehead to the side of his cheek.

As he turned around a corner, he got bumped into something and fell on back, hitting the broken glass-filled floor. The aches were shown on his face, as the glass crushed underneath his back. Hikaru hissed, and felt that someone raised him up from the floor, grasping violently on his collar.

The redhead gazed up and saw a man standing in front of him; the guy glared at him, "Move, you're standing in the way, damn brat!" he shoved him brutally into the wall, and Hikaru could feel how his back hit roughly into the stone-hard wall.

Hikaru pressed his eyes shot and gritted his teeth fiercely together, as he fought the urge to scream in pain. He gilded down on the floor, sitting with his head hanging down, his hands tied into fists, as they shook uncontrollably.

The next thing he felt, was his hair dragged violently on, rising him up from the ground. _'Damn it! I don't have time for this!' _Hikaru screamed inside, he needed to find Kaoru! But where was he!

"Hands up!" shouts came from behind, and the guy who pulled on Hikaru's hair turned his head around.

Police cops was standing outside across from the broken windows, they were aiming at the man. The man smirked; he grabbed fiercely on Hikaru and held around his neck, moved the teen in front of him.

The red-haired hissed, while grasped on the man's roughly arm, pulling forcefully it away from his throat.

But Hikaru couldn't, this man was too much strong, and the teen hadn't strength enough.

"Back-off, Cops!" the guy snapped; a gun was placed on the side of Hikaru's head, and the redhead widened his eyes with shock, never had a gun been that close to him, he had never _seen_ a gun in his life before.

The policemen still pointed at the man with their own guns, they couldn't shoot as long as Hikaru was taken as a hostage.

"I'm warning you." One of the cops said firmly, "Let the kid go."

Hikaru cursed inwardly, he had to look after his twin, not wasting time being a hostage! The gun was pressed hardly to his head, and he couldn't think strait.

A shock came on Hikaru's face, as gunshots could be heard, the sounds echoed in his head. The grip loosened from his neck, as he felt the weight from behind slowly moved away.

Hikaru stood still, his eyes widened, and the guy who threatened to blow his head off was…

… _Dead_

There, one person stood silently in the middle of the street, Hikaru shivered almost every part of him.

He fell backside on his bottom, as the guy turned slowly the look at him. The elder twin couldn't see his whole face; it was covered by a mask, a pale white mask. The narrowed eyes on it drilled deeply into Hikaru's, and the redhead made a small gulp, the terrified tension rose up from the back of him.

The guy held a gun in his black-covered hand, pointing at where Hikaru was sitting. The hot smoke came out from the tip, as the wind blew it away.

Even if the expression on the mask was emotionlessly, it somehow scared Hikaru out of his mind, until there was nothing other then vain.

Hikaru didn't move from the place, he didn't run away, he didn't turn around and stop the fear. He couldn't…

It was weird how people just passed him by, the citizens just ran by, they didn't look at him, didn't notice how calm he was just standing there. He's right in front of them, he's there, and he's close to them.

_Couldn't they see him…?_

The black coat he wore danced with the wind, the rifles flicked as the dust of destroyed bricks flew away, taken by the cold wind. The gun lowered down, until it was pointing on the broken ground.

It was suddenly cold, whether it was because of the air that had turned the heat down, or the guy who could turn almost everything into frost, it didn't matter to Hikaru.

'What's wrong with people!' Hikaru screamed in his mind, he couldn't scream a single word out through the mouth. He could feel how he shivered uncontrollably, _why couldn't people see him?_

Hikaru gulped once again, he couldn't stop staring at the killer, and his eyes were locked firmly on and couldn't break free from the sight. The cold sweat glided down, he just couldn't move, couldn't stand up and run, he was frozen on the ground. He couldn't get away.

The killer tilted his head to the side, watching the red-haired before him. There was a very low whisper, that couldn't have any change to get heard, no person could hear it if they even would stand close to the black-coated.

The whisper was silent, Hikaru eyes showed terrifying fear. He could hear it loud and clear, and it echoed inside his head. The words were firmly from the killer, his voice deadly.

"_Hitachiin Hikaru."_

The elder twin quickly backed off, his back was now hard against the wall. _'This can't be true, it can't!' _Hikaru scream inwardly, but he couldn't make any sound of his voice, the panic scream wouldn't come out; it came out in Hikaru's mind instead. He must be dream, having a nightmare. He hoped the thought would become true.

All these things he comprehended, right in front of him;

It couldn't be real; _it just couldn't!_

Hikaru was trapped, and he couldn't get out. Kaoru wasn't there beside him, and the redhead felt the fright become greater.

Hikaru bitted his teeth together; he was the only one who could see the guy, the masked killer in front of him. Kaoru wasn't with him, he was alone…

"_Such a shame, Hikaru."_

The elder twin lifted his head more up, looking straight at the mask; the killer had his black hands hided in the coat's pockets, he stood there silently, as the sand flew by him. Hikaru didn't saw people passing by, he didn't know when there was no more humans left to run by in the between. They weren't close to each other, but Hikaru felt like that guy could harm him, even if he was standing out of the sight.

Hikaru didn't make a movement, as the killer spoke further.

"_I hoped this game could have been more fun."_ Hikaru widened the amber eyes; he stared at the guy before him. _"It could have been more interesting..."_

What was this guy? Was he even human? Hikaru wasn't sure of it, but he didn't believe in those sorts of unnatural beings, those didn't exist. Hikaru wondered in fear, _how did he knew his name?_

Hikaru could have lost his mind, because this couldn't be reality. Even if it felt so real, so genuine. Hikaru kind of hoped he had lost his sense, and kind of didn't hope. Because then his sanity was mad, and he would become insane and mad, and maybe destroy everything near him, because the things could easily drive him mad than before. Then Kaoru would get hurt too, and it would be because of Hikaru, who had lost his mind completely. No, he changed his mind, he did not hope for that.

_Just how could he think like that in a situation like this!_

A shock came from the redhead, as he could feel the killer's presence nearer. The guy was standing right in front of him, and the mask was placed close to his face. Hikaru still couldn't make any sound, as the fright was uncontrollable for him. He shivered in madness, he gazed at the narrowed eyes before him, and somehow he could feel how the killer smirked behind the pale mask, a wicked grin placed on the guy's mouth.

_'When did the time stop?'_ the elder twin thought, nothing moved, the dust didn't fly further, as it was frozen on the air. The policemen stood still, like they were in a movie, which was on pause when they were about to run towards Hikaru. There was no sound, complete silence, the killer stared at the red-haired; he and Hikaru were the only ones who could move themselves.

"_Hikaru… are you afraid to die…?"_ the whisper came firmly into Hikaru's ears; he stared back at the eyes of the mask.

The guy smirked again, which Hikaru thought he did. But the Hitachiin couldn't reply back, as he sat there, scared to death. The killer laughed cheekily, it was low. Hikaru could swear that the guy expected him to not even answer back; somehow, the redhead could feel how he became annoyed.

The masked one moved his right hand out of his pocket, lifting an object between their faces. Hikaru stared at the object, it was… a watch?

"_Listen carefully, Hitachiin Hikaru."_ the killer spoke again, the pocket-watch turned round slowly, the golden antique shined blinding lights by the sun from behind. It didn't look like a normal watch people could buy at the watchmaker's, there was strange signs on it instead of the usual twelve numbers, and there was three hands on it. The hand which looked like the minute hand turned in different directions, clockwise and counter-clockwise. The thin one turned slowly in counter-clockwise, and the last shorter one stood still.

Hikaru blinked, _what kind of clock was that?_

"_The times running; if you're not careful, __things might happen as they shouldn't, understood?"_

Hikaru turned the look at the killer instead, _was that guy some kind of a timekeeper?_

The elder twin guessed that the killer smirked; the watch was lowed down, placed back inside the pocket.

A reply came, as the guy stood straight up, looking downwards at Hikaru. _"Sort of…"_

* * *

"Hikaru, can you hear me!"

The elder twin fluttered with his amber eyes, he gazed at the ceiling above him, and the lights hurt his eyes, they felt like they were sore. A hand was on his shoulder, as it shook him forcefully, and other one was on his cheek. It sort of rubbed his face, and Hikaru recognized the feeling; that touch only one person could do.

He blinked rapidly and turned to look at the person sitting beside him, his eyes looked like they were off-minded, when he gazed at Kaoru. He opened his mouth, somehow his throat was dry, and his voice became hoarse.

"Kaoru? What am I-…?" the younger one sighed in relief, as Hikaru sit himself right up, blinking in confusion.

"Baka, don't take too long to try clothes on." Kaoru scratched the side of his head, he seemed… _frustrated?_

Hikaru stared blankly, _did he say try clothes?_ He widened his eyes bewildered, "Wait a minute, wasn't there-…?" that didn't make sense, and the elder of them turned the look everywhere around, he wasn't at the hall with the broken windows, the destroyed wall, and the glass-filled floor. This place he was at wasn't ruined either, and he was at _the fitting room._

Kaoru had raised an eyebrow at his brother, watching with a bored look. "_Wasn't there-_ what?" he asked, and Hikaru sat in deep confusion.

_Where's the broken glass? Where's the destroy places? Where are the police cops?_ Hikaru shook his head fiercely, causing Kaoru to blink blankly at him. "Um, Hikaru… are you alright?"

"I don't think so…" the elder answered, and Kaoru sighed once more. Maybe Hikaru was tired, that's all.

"What happen to the place?" Hikaru asked, watching up to the ceiling. He turns the look at Kaoru again, "How did you find me?"

Kaoru shrugged his shoulder, "I _saw_ you walk in to the fitting room, while looking after some dresses?"

Hikaru blinked, _wait… did that happened? When?_

"Hikaru, you look troubled. Can't find any clothes that fit?" Hikaru turned annoyed eyes on his brother, which cause Kaoru to chuckle a bit. The younger twin offended his hand in front of the elder of them. "Come on, you must be tired." He lifted Hikaru on his feet, he smiled at him. "Let's go home, okay?"

Hikaru nodded, but he was still confused. Things didn't make sense to him; there wasn't anything that was ruined, and they couldn't get build up quickly again, right?

"Kaoru, what happened when I was gone?" Hikaru asked, as they walked out of the fitting room. Kaoru turned around, blinking at his twin. "Nothing much, you were just tying clothes, and I was searching for dresses, right?"

"But what happened to the holes on the walls, the shattered windows, and the destroyed street outside? They can't rebuild themselves!" Hikaru voice rose up without noticing, it became frustrating.

"What do you mean?" Kaoru stood there still; he didn't understand his brother's talking. "Nothing happened, Hikaru."

"Eh?" Hikaru was lost; there was no answer to it. Kaoru didn't know the answer; he didn't even know what Hikaru was talking about. _And since when did he try clothes on!_

"You're still here?" a female voice came from behind Kaoru's back, causing the younger one to turn around, looking at the lady who was annoyed. She looked with annoyed eyes at the twins, "The store's already close, and we can't have you locked inside this building."

Kaoru sweat-dropped in embarrassment, "Sorry, we're leaving now!" he apologized, and quickly snatched Hikaru's hand in his palm, dragging him towards the exit. The store assistants watched them leave; they all looked tired of work.

"Next time Hikaru, don't take too long." Kaoru said, he did not turn to look at the redhead behind.

"Sorry…" Hikaru said lowly, lowering the head towards the ground underneath him. Kaoru still held his hand in his, as he walked towards home. His other hand held a bag of clothes he had bought, while waiting for Hikaru to finish up. The limo was out to bring their mother home from the airport, so they had to walk and take the train, not that it bothered them.

Kaoru turned the head, he smiled at Hikaru. "It's okay; just take your naps at home, alright?"

* * *

Sorry for submitting first now, I had been busy lately at the time, so it's first now I got the change the write the chapter.

I only got one request, please come up with reviews:3


	8. Attracted?

Chapter VIII – Attracted?

"_Next time Hikaru, don't take too long." Kaoru said, he did not turn to look at the redhead behind._

"_Sorry…" Hikaru said lowly, lowering the head towards the ground underneath him. Kaoru still held his hand in his, as he walked towards home. His other hand held a bag of clothes he bought, while waiting for Hikaru to finish up. The limo was out to bring their mother home from the airport, so they had to walk and take the train, not that it bothered them._

_Kaoru turned the head, he smiled at Hikaru. "It's okay; just take your naps at home, alright?"_

* * *

-- Past: Two years --

"_Now class, __we'll split you up in groups of three, I want you to stand up from your seats."_

_The entire class did as they were told, and stood patiently – waiting for the teacher to talk further. Hikaru watched with half-lifted eyes, his face as blank as it could be. The teacher held up a piece of paper, she skimmed through the words with her glasses placed in front of her eyes._

_Hikaru began to feel tired, as he found this boring. Did they really have to stand up all the day? He hoped not._

_The teacher had already made up some groups, and those - who got paired up - stood together with each other. She watched up, opening her mouth to call the next group; "Next one: Hitachiin Hikaru and Kaoru," the elder twin turned the eyes at Kaoru, they gazed at one another. This was going to get boring, but if they were together in the group, they couldn't complain._

"_And the third one, Kunisaki Valor." The entire class turned their eyes at the new student – he stood there next to the window, gazing through the huge glass. It looked like he wasn't interested about the whole concept._

_Hikaru blinked his eyes a bit – there was something about that new kid._

"_Now, I will have you all to work properly together. No complains, understood?"_

_Then the lesson was over, "Class is dismissed, have a nice break." The teacher left through the door, and the class began to sit around the new kid._

_The teen remained silent on his seat, he didn't watch up at them, or talk to them – he didn't even winch one bit. Hikaru looked at Kaoru but found out his twin was watching at where the huge crowd was – he turned his head towards the rest of the class._

"_There's something about him." the younger one of them said abruptly; the elder nodded – he knew what Kaoru was talking about._

"_That face-…"_

"_That expression-…"_

"_- Looks like us."_

_The teen, which's called Kunisaki turned the head at the twins - they blinked back at him, their faces as expressionless like his._

_The school's clock tower rang through the silent between the three._

* * *

"_HE DID WHAT!!??"_

The shout was clear and loud – frustration overcame the owner of the voice. A fist smashed on a hard object, causing it to break into pieces. _"He's causing too much trouble, hasn't he learn his place yet?!"_

It's dark at the place, nothing could be seen. The sounds of teeth gritting hardly against each other could be heard clearly by the others inside the dark room. The angry person grabbed after one of the pieces, crushing it with the strong fist.

"_He **is** his own master, correctly?"_ another voice came through, speaking calmly to the frustated one. _"He isn't like the others – acting by his own will."_

"_Maybe we __should do something about it, it's the outermost strictly rule we have."_ The third voice came afterwards; it was wiser than the two others. Eyes turned the look towards the third. _"We can't let humans see us; it will cause too much catastrophic matters."_

"_That brat… M__aking his own actions…"_ some few made grunts in agree, only those who's inside the room could see through the darkness – their eyes glowing.

"_But how do we get him?"_ one of them asked - breaking the silence. _"He's faster then us all, and he seems to be more skilled then the most of those who's under us."_

"_Truly yes… He's__ playing with the time. It's one of the rules to use the time when erasing souls. But he seems to enjoy his mischievous behaviour he calls 'his game'."_

_

* * *

_

'_It can't be a dream, or was it?'_

Hikaru couldn't find the answers; he didn't know how to explain. All those things in the city, they kept on repeating on his mind. The elder twin groaned in frustration, his head spinning around - he did _not_ need this.

It all felt so real, how could it be a dream? He was certain of it - it happened there. The city was ruined, and people ran away in fear. He remembered the feeling of being a hostage, how his neck had hurt by the death-grip. It all was clear in his mind – the gunshots – the blood on the broken ground – how everything froze into ice by one look. Hikaru sat silent for a moment, he gazed at his hands.

_'The guy on that day,'_ – Hikaru shivered at the thought, he closed his eyes shut. _'Just who was he?'_

That guy couldn't be his imagination, he was sure of it. He just didn't know how to prove the true. How could he, when the city wasn't destroyed after he saw how it became a wilderness? There weren't any broken glasses laying on the ground, shattered into pieces. How could he find evidences, when it seemed like nothing happened that day?_ How?_

Hikaru grabbed his hair in frustration, he got nothing to prove his witness. _None._

It was hopeless; he could just give it up, and forget about it. Then he shouldn't get concern about it, when it didn't happen at all. _Maybe it was a dream nevertheless._

"_Times running,"_ Hikaru said with a low voice, _"Things might happen as they shouldn't."_ _'What did he mean about that?'_ The redhead wondered in questions. It seemed like he couldn't forget about the whole experience, and Hikaru threw the pillow right into his face, his hands tightened the grip on the soft object.

The elder twin couldn't figure it out, _was he losing his sanity?_ He kept saying that he's not, but after what had happen to him, it seemed to be more convincing. The redhead lied on the huge bed; he didn't want to leave his and his twin's bedroom. Kaoru had left him alone on the bed, but that was because he have to go to school. Hikaru on the other hand, stayed on the bed.

Kaoru had tried to get his brother with him, but it seemed hopeless – so he went off without Hikaru.

Without his brother – his twin – one of the inseparable pair… _Without!?_

As the thought pierced down like an arrow, Hikaru threw the pillow at the floor and pulled the blanket away from him. He quickly grabbed after his school uniform, and went outside of the room – slamming the door closed. _What was he thinking?_ Well, he didn't think at all, so there's nothing to discuss.

A person blinked when she heard the slam – she gazed up and found Hikaru running down at the stairs. "Hikaru? Where are you going?!" she yelled after him, when he passed her by quickly.

"School!" he shouted back, he lifted up a hand. "Nice to see you, Mom!"

"Weren't you ill?!" the twins mother asked, she stared blankly at her first child.

Hikaru opened the front door - he didn't even turn around to look at her. "I feel better now, see ya!"

And the door slammed shot, as Mrs. Hitachiin sighed tiredly – sometimes, she didn't know what was happening in her sons mind, mostly Hikaru's. "You gotta love them, anyway." She said while scratching the side of her head.

* * *

The classroom seemed empty without students inside. That was what Kaoru thought, when he walked through the doorframe. He placed his bag on his table, as he pulled out his chair and sat down on it. 

The younger Hitachiin had a concerned face on his features - he didn't know what Hikaru was thinking right at the moment, and something was making his twin strange. Though he doesn't know why, he had the feeling that it might have started some days ago.

He sighed with his eyes closed - maybe it weren't so important, Hikaru seemed to be fine. He meant - there wasn't anything to be concerned about, so he shouldn't be troubled. The door opened slightly, as someone came into the class. Kaoru didn't have the urge to gaze up; he felt really tired and couldn't sleep well the day before.

"Kaoru?" a voice asked confused, the person stood still at the doorframe. The younger twin looked up after all, but he blinked with his eyes when he saw who it was.

"Why are you here? And without Hikaru around?" Valor blinked with bewildered eyes at the Hitachiin, he moved towards his table beside Kaoru's, and lied down his bag on it.

Kaoru smiled a bit, "Hikaru's not feeling well, so I went to school without him." Valor nodded in understanding, watching the board in front of him. The twin saw how he sat in thoughts, as if he knew something.

Valor grinned then, turning the head at Kaoru, "Since Hikaru isn't here; you seem to need some company."

"What?" Kaoru stated bewildered, his amber eyes blinked twice at Valor. "You mean you want me to hang out with you?"

The black-haired nodded - a smile on his features. "If you wouldn't mind, that is."

The redhead sat silent for a while, then he responded - "I don't know… Usually, I would rather have Hikaru hanging around too-…"

"But he isn't here." The black-haired interrupted, causing Kaoru to sigh with closed eyes. He opened them again, "Listen, I'm not interested, even if it could be nice. Besides, I can look after myself."

Valor blinked at Kaoru for a moment, bringing his elbow on his table. He closed his eyes – he looked uneasy as if there was something that didn't sound right. He stated, while watching the black board – "That wasn't what you said at that time…"

"Huh?" the twin watched Valor with careful eyes - _'Wasn't what I said?'_ he thought confused, _what did he mean by that?_

Valor smiled at him, like there wasn't anything to be troubled about. Kaoru turned the look at his table, there was something he needed to know – like how Valor seemed to know the twins well. "Valor, I have something to ask you about. Would you mind?"

"Suit yourself and ask." Was the reply, as Valor watched the Hitachiin with a smile. Kaoru turned up the head, "How can it be that you know Hikaru and I that well? Were we supposed to be friends?" _'There's no way we could be friends at that time, or else there's something off.' _The red-haired was sure of it, he and his brother didn't have other friends before the host club began – so he couldn't be wrong about that.

Valor turned the eyes upwards, watching the ceiling. "Well no, we weren't friends at all. But we seemed to have a lot in common."

_'That was a new one.'_ Kaoru thought in amazement, he didn't know how to reply back. As he sat in silence for a moment, he sat up a question again. "Why is that, when you always seem to be fine all the time? Also for two years ago?" Then Kaoru's mind went off – he stared blankly at the space between him and the teen who sat before him. _'Wait, why did I ask like that?'_

"You remembered?" Valor stated, and placed his hand underneath his chin thoughtfully. "Interesting…"

_'Hikaru's right. Valor is a strange kid.'_ The younger Hitachiin declared. Then something had hit him, and he sat for while in his thoughts. Maybe if he used the day with Valor, he could get some answers from him. Like those which makes it complicated to understand the guy.

Kaoru turned the eyes towards the right side, his eyebrows moved closer to each other. _It couldn't be that bad_, he thought of a moment. _Maybe it could fine, who knows? It was a worth to try._

"Well, okay then. I guess it's okay to have some company, other than Hikaru." The redhead said, as he scratched the back of his head. The teen before him smiled an even bigger grin than before, and he grabbed after Kaoru's hand. "Great! I'm enjoying it already!" Valor said gladly, holding the palm between his two hands. Kaoru blinked confused at him, but then a smile appeared on his mouth – thinking how childish he actually was.

"Oh my god…" a voice came abruptly, and the two guys blinked in bewilderedness. They turned their heads towards where they had heard the voice, and what they found was some of the girls from their class – standing at the door with widen eyes.

"Oh-uh…" Kaoru said while sweat dropping - _this was going to get long._

"What is this!?" one of the girls exclaimed, "What is Kaoru-kun doing without Hikaru-kun!?"

"And with Valor-kun!?"

"This is new! And they are holding hands!"

"How cute!"

The girls screamed and exclaimed further - their faces red from the sight. The black-haired teen sweat dropped, he didn't have the comprehension about what the females were talking about.

A girl with brown hair stared seriously at Valor, she slammed her hand hard against his table. "So Valor-kun, which attractions do you have towards Kaoru-kun?" Valor gulped at the slam and winched away – letting go of Kaoru's hand. Some more females moved their faces closer to the black-haired boy, as they tried to pressure him to tell. "Do you like Kaoru-kun?" they all asked in unison.

"W-what?" the black-haired blanked at the state, his face as blank as a straight white paper. "_Attractions?_ What are you talking about?" The girls never answered him, as their kept on throwing question right at the teen.

"What do you think of Kaoru-kun?" another female asked, she pressed a microphone close to Valor between the other girls. The microphone was to make sure they would hear him loud and clear - Valor blinked once again, confused as ever.

"Eh, he's a nice person?" was the reply, and the females shook their head fiercely.

"No,_ What_ do you think of him, other than nice?!"

The black-haired stared strangely at them, he thought in his mind for a bit, but then answered – "I think he's a sweet person to be with, he's fun when he's clumsy."

And the crowd of girls stared with widen eyes – their mouth hanging with amazement.

Kaoru stared at the teen beside him, his face twitching nervously. He cleared his throat, trying to look serious. _"'Sweet'?"_

Valor scratched the side of his neck, as he turned his amber eyes at the girls. But apparently, they seemed to be in their own fantasies, which the boy didn't have the idea of what these 'fantasies' may be.

He looked at Kaoru again, "Was that a bad thing to say?"

Kaoru nodded slowly – his face emotionlessly. "Yeah, it was."

The two teens winched away in shock when the girls squeaked loudly - normally for Kaoru, he wouldn't winch when he heard their squeals - he heard them ever-so-often in the host club.

"I think they got a new interest…" the Hitachiin stated, looked slightly annoyed – he smiled strangely at the sight of the fangirls.

"You think?" the teen beside him responded - sweat dropping.

"Maybe we should leave?" Kaoru asked, he pointed at the door of their escape from the insane girls.

Surprisingly, the black-haired teen grinned, it was different from whatever smile he had on his face. Though it was strange to see him smile like that, Kaoru knew to kind of grin too well – it was _a grin of a troublemaker._

"Actually, this seems interesting…" Kaoru gazed at Valor when the black-haired stated that.

"What?" the red-haired had the feeling of what the black head might be plotting, but he asked anyway. "What are you stating at?"

Valor kept on grinning – he moved closer to the Hitachiin, whispering close in his ear. "I don't know if you're up to it, but we could see how things gonna turn out. You and Hikaru do it a lot, right?"

Kaoru turned his eyes upwards, he weren't sure of the idea, _maybe just for fun?_

"Well, if you say so…" the younger twin replied in whisper - he didn't know why he would take part of Valor's idea, but he did it anyway. The two turned towards the females again – no suspicion had shown upon them.

"So, which plan do you have?" Kaoru asked, while a smile began to appear – he was getting up to the amusement.

_The black-haired seemed to be lots of fun._

* * *

"I can't believe it! Did he really do that?!" 

As the elder one of the twins ran in the halls of the school, he heard the exclamation from the usual fangirls of their club. He blinked in wondering, while stopping up to a corner – he could hear the girls from the side. Hikaru sighed deeply; he didn't need to have females squealing at him.

"I can't believe it either, but I'm sure! And it was Kaoru-kun who was doing it!"

"You heard about that? I saw it!"

Hikaru stared at the ground in confusion - _did they just talk about his younger brother?_ The elder twin turned the eyes carefully, watching the girls as they were having their conversation with each other. He made sure that they wouldn't notice him by spying on them, or he hoped they wouldn't.

"Who would have thought he would do something like that?"

Hikaru made a grimace, he was getting slightly annoyed of the waste of time the girls were making. He kind of wanted to know what they were talking about, but he also knew he would get impatient. Especially when it's about his twin. _'Do they really have to keep the questions further?'_

"What if it will get to something? You know, _deeper?"_

'_Why don'__t you just tell and get over it?'_

"No, I don't think so. But it seemed to have the conviction."

'_Come on…! What is such a huge topic to get so amazed about?'_

"It could be, but it's hardly to believe…"

'_Do you even know the class will start soon?'_

"Actually, I think it's kind of cute."

'_Kami-sama… why do I have the urge to listen to them? I could always ask Kaoru myself.'_ But somehow, he didn't leave the corner – he was glued on the place, and he kept on listen to the girls talk.

"But there's something I don't understand. He isn't even a member of the host club, so why?"

'_Are they playing for time?'_

"So it isn't an act? I thought it was."

'_Did they notice me before? 'Cause it seemed to be true.'_

"Maybe, or maybe not. What would Hikaru do?"

'_I'll strangle it out of you, if you're not hurry to tell!'_

"Should we tell him?"

'_Well… YES! TELL IT NOW!'_

"This is exciting! What would happen next?!"

'_- Sore ga bokura no love style! -'_

"Who would have thought he liked him?"

'_Huh!? Who does Kaoru like?!'_

"You mean Valor-kun? Well, who wouldn't like him, anyway? He's a cute one! Not to mention gorgeous!"

'_What…?'_

"Hikaru?" a voice came from behind – the bell rang, and the girls walked away from the place – moving towards their classes. Hikaru stood still, feeling how shocked he got by the last sentence. His head hung low, watching the floor before him – he didn't watch up to see the person who called his name, even if he knew her well.

Haruhi stood silent as well, she knew that there was something bothering the twin – she didn't ask what was wrong. "Come on Hikaru, we're going to get late for class."

* * *

This story is getting weirder and weirder, not to mention it's made be a weirdo – oh wait… I'm making the story. 

Sorry that I couldn't make this chapter earlier, but I got ill some days ago – I'm feeling better now.

Guess there isn't more to discuss further. I'll update the later again. :D


	9. Host Club Reacts

Chapter IX – Host Club Reacts

"_You mean Valor-kun? Well, who wouldn't like him, anyway? He's a cute one! Not to mention gorgeous!"_

'_What…?'_

"_Hikaru?" a voice came from behind – the bell rang, and the girls walked away from the place – moving towards their classes. Hikaru stood still, his head hanging low – he didn't watch up to see the person who called his name, even if he knew her well._

_Haruhi stood silent as well, she knew that there was something bothering the twin – she didn't ask what was wrong. "Come on Hikaru, we're going to get late for class."_

* * *

Tamaki was worried. He had the thought that something might happen, but he wasn't sure of what. He walked along the corridor, while thinking about what he had heard last time from his black-haired friend. The blond kept on worrying, his hand placed in front of his mouth "What if…?" He had said for a while, as he paced and turned around - walking backward and forward. He shook his head slightly; it didn't give any sense. But Kyoya told that-… 

"There you are." A voice called; Tamaki looked up at the upcoming teen.

He stopped his feet from walking.

The teen lifted an eyebrow, his glasses reflecting from the sunlight behind the windows.

He asked emotionlessly, "You look troubled, care to tell?"

Tamaki smiled, "Ah, Kyoya!" a hand rose up, as he greeted his black-haired friend. "I was waiting for you!"

Kyoya didn't respond and walked closer to Tamaki – he shoved a stack of papers right into his face, letting the blond to muffle the over-happy voice. "We don't need the exaggeratedly joy of yours." Kyoya glared sharply at him, his voice dark and deadly. This caused Tamaki to gulp in fear, as he stared at the low-blooded demon king - he must be tired. Kyoya pushed back his glasses calmly, but the aura around him showed the dark shadow, ready to crush anyone. "Anyway, Tamaki…" he watched up, nodding towards the papers in the Suou's hands. "You might need to take a look at them."

Tamaki blinked; he moved his eyes down at the sheets. The words were clear to him, as he red with bewildered eyes.

"What is-… This is about Kunisaki?" he turned his head up again; a nod from Kyoya came as a respond.

The Suou skimmed over the lines, leafing through each pages.

Kyoya watched, his face as emotionless as ever – "He's quite getting popular here." He stated, and Tamaki glanced at the teen before him.

"Yeah, -" the host president said lowly, Tamaki sighed slightly, "- they sure love him." The two seniors had kept an eye on the new student; they had tried to figure him out, but unfortunately - luck wasn't on their side. As they had started the investigation, they seemed to notice how the girls watched the smaller teen with interest. But to their research, they had none about the black head's background.

"Even though, it seems that his popularity is increasing." Kyoya said emotionlessly, the classmate blinked at him in confusion. The black-haired heaved a sigh, "If this continues as I have predicted, he will soon get more popular, even more than you." Tamaki widened his eyes in disbelieve, an arrow flew right into him. "Nani?!" he cried out loud, running close towards Kyoya.

"This is unacceptable! How can he get more popular than me, the host king!"

The black-haired didn't winch or made any twitch when the blond screamed right in his face, spitting salvia-drops at his uniform and glasses.

A hit on the top of Tamaki's head, and the blond teen moved his palms to the spot where it hurt.

He fell onto the floor, rolling idiotically around like a crying immature child.

"Stop being ridiculous." Kyoya commanded darkly, pressing on the hand to make a sort of cracking sound.

"But, we got to do something! I won't let anyone become greater than me!" Tamaki cried out loudly, as tears went running out from his eyes

Kyoya being indifferent stepped hardly on his back, causing the blond to jerk up.

Tamaki's face twisted with aches.

"Get a hold yourself, and quit acting like a child." He pressed his foot hardly on the back, his arms crossed over.

"I do believe if we don't make a quick solution to this, the great among of costumers will decrease and keep falling." Kyoya stated, taking off his glasses – he polished them with a handkerchief, removing the spit from Tamaki.

"But," he said with a firm voice, putting the glasses back to the place.

His eyes glinted sharply, as Tamaki watched him with narrowed eyes.

"If that kid, who to be called Kunisaki, is going to deal with the host club – then he'll pay a sort of price…"

Tamaki stared blankly at his classmate; he could feel how Kyoya's dark aura rushed in his veins. He knew that the black-haired got offended by the sudden decreasing of the earnings, and that he'll properly set the younger teen in danger.

Tamaki knew Kyoya too well.

Then something hit him, as he blinked with his eyes.

He lifted up a hand as he still lied on the floor – "Wait, am I not suppose to be the president?"

"Haha haha haha!"

"Who's that?" Tamaki watched up – a sound of laughter had caught his ears. The black-haired teen removed his foot away, as the host king raised himself up to his standing. They stood still as they saw who were laughing with each other.

Tamaki gazed with bewildered eyes, Kyoya watched too with his expressionless face.

At first, the two thought it was the twins, but then when they saw that elder twin was missing, and the younger was with another student.

They got surprised when they noticed black hair, amber eyes – and the cheeky smile which is too familiar for them now.

"Kaoru…" Tamaki said in a low tone, watching how the twin had his hand placed on the smaller's shoulder.

He knitted his brows together, not quite getting it – "What's he doing with Kunisaki?"

Kyoya sighed a bit.

"Beats me." He deadpanned, as he took out his notebook from the schoolbag.

He took a pen out from his inner-pocket and began to scribble down some notes, writing what he had received before his eyes.

The other teen got a bit concerned, "But without Hikaru?"

It wasn't such a major problem; it was somehow a good thing that the twins could hang out with others and not just with themselves. The thing is that it was still strange to experience the moment – whenever it was because it somehow felt too early for them to start separating, or that it was Kunisaki who was with the younger one of them.

Tamaki did wonder if the twins were separating, most because it sounded untruthful.

It was just a bit new, that the 'other' wasn't with the 'another'.

"I wonder how this may have come." Tamaki stated calmly, watching at the teens from a class below.

Kyoya raised an eyebrow, but still kept on writing. He made a quick glance at the two boys.

Truthful, they seemed to enjoy with one another.

Tamaki smiled, even if he wasn't sure this was actually good, but seeing how Kaoru laughed – he guessed that things weren't so bad. "Great to see it's going well." he placed his palms to his hips; a joyful grin was plastered on his features. The blond turned towards the teen behind him, "Yosh," he said with the usual dramatic voice, while he passed by his classmate – "Better go to class!" then he moved away, expecting that Kyoya would follow after him. But he didn't notice the look behind the Ootori's glasses, the black-haired didn't reply back to Tamaki. The Suou expected him the follow, and sort of didn't. But he didn't mind, if Kyoya didn't follow he was still fine with it - he was used to it.

Even though that the host king was leaving, Kyoya stood still on the place.

He watched at where they had seen the two second-school'ers, while pushing up the glasses again.

As he stood, he wondered about the possibilities which will come, and what they without a second thought will cause.

"Well," he stated, shrugged on his shoulders, "Things might happen… I guess it's not important anyway."

He turned around, supposed to be following back to class behind Tamaki – he stopped his feet, he could swear that he saw a person nearby, watching behind one of the corners of the corridor. The black-haired teen turned the eyes, watching at the place where the person was supposed to be. He found no one – dark-coloured eyes blinked once or twice. But not really caring about what it may have been, he turned away the gaze and walked towards the classroom.

If there was a person spying around here, it could have been a student watching over Kunisaki – or as he predicted by his knowledge on the smaller teen.

* * *

"D-did you see their faces?" Valor stated, trying to get a hold of himself.

Kaoru nodded slightly, he was also on the edge of breaking into laughter again.

They had tears on the corner of their eyes, and their mouth curled upwards into large sized grins.

"There was a huge shock on their faces, they even forgot how to breathe."

The younger twin placed his hand in front of his mouth, and Valor showed a wide grin on his features.

The two laughed loudly, holding their hands on their stomachs – the tears steamed out uncontrollably.

What a mess there was at the classroom - the girls were pale white of shock, not to mention they all fainted one after another.

"You were good…" Kaoru managed to say between his laughter, and Valor gazed up at the Hitachiin, he stopped his laughter – a smile appeared on his mouth.

"Why don't you join the host club? You could get a great opportunity to get along with people," The redhead stated, pressing the laughter behind.

"besides you can have fun almost every day." he added at the ending, pointing out the fact as he wiped the tears away.

The black-haired placed his hands on the back of his neck, he grinned his usual wide smile.

"Yeah, if I did join…" he turned his head away, facing at one of the large windows.

"I'm not good as you guys; all I can talk about is boring stuffs – like books for example."

"Yeah right, stop being modest already."

Kaoru smiled with a huge grin, but he couldn't help wondering how fast they got along with each other, it was just a bit too quickly.

Kaoru didn't know about many things of Valor, but it seemed he could have fun with him still – even if he knew none about his background.

"Well, the whole outcome of the show was quite interesting…" the black-haired lifted a finger upwards, and Kaoru nodded in understanding.

The two exclaimed in unison, as their grins widened - "It was hilarious!!!"

The Hitachiin laughed again, he was too much unaware by the amusement that he didn't notice how the black-haired reacted – like as changing his expression. Before Kaoru knew it, the black head blinked with amazed eyes - his face pale as a ghost. Shock shallowed him; the unified state had hit inside his mind. He watched down at the floor, hiding the face away. Then he shook his head fiercely, placing a hand on the side of his head.

"What's the matter?" the redhead asked, breaking the teen from his thoughts.

Valor sweat-dropped, "Ah, nande mo nai!" he said quickly, waving hands in front of him.

He smiled casually and shoved his hands onto Kaoru's back, pushing him rudely.

"Let's get back to class." An awkward tension came, as the Hitachiin got moved towards the classroom.

"Oi, wait a minute! Why did you suddenly-…?" he tried to turn his face at Valor, but that was kind of difficult when the teen kept avoiding any eye contact.

"Did what?" Came a stained reply from behind, hands still pushing the redhead all the way to class.

Kaoru grimaced a bit – Valor was obviously trying to hide something, averting the topic to get out into conversations. The sudden change of mood was strange, and it didn't fit Valor – after what thoughts Kaoru had about the teen. But somehow, he couldn't help but wondering why Valor looked different before – there was something, a thing that he didn't want to talk about.

The Hitachiin kind of wanted to know why - _why would he hide it away anyway?_

He shrugged the thought off, couldn't see why he should get concerned about things so suddenly.

He kept thinking that he might just got curious, maybe too much.

But what Kaoru didn't know and was unaware of, was that gazes followed him – watching from behind by the whole time. He didn't know there was a person who saw the two boys walking at the corridors - the bewildered look on his face, those widen eyes in disbelieve, how the hand tightened the grasp on the held schoolbag.

Hikaru stared, gaping a little – he felt some sort of blank space inside himself, as he couldn't express the feeling properly.

He was confused – he was overwhelmed – he felt… -

_- __Surprisingly nothing._

* * *

Lunch time… At last.

Haruhi let out a long sigh, as she stretched her arms high up. The classmates went out of the room, pacing while having conversations with one another. As she placed her books back into the bag, she couldn't stop wondering about where Hikaru could be. The brown-haired wasn't sure of exactly where, but she guessed at some place where he could hide. The twin had just turned away from her, and without her noticing it. She didn't realize it before she stood by the door to their class, turning the huge brown eyes at where he was supposed to be standing at. She ran a hand downward at her face, a bit annoyed – she was concerned about Hikaru, and how he suddenly avoided her and the others was strange.

"What is he thinking?" Haruhi muttered out, not really referring to anyone.

The redhead didn't show up to class, and the commoner didn't have the clue of where he could be.

It was odd to see that Kaoru didn't deal with his brother about whatever concern the elder has,_ how strange…_

Haruhi shrugged on her shoulders, she couldn't really tell which of the conditions could be the most obvious one.

_'Hikaru started to act a bit weird'_ - that's what Kaoru told her, when she asked if there was something going around in Hikaru's mind.

"I'm just worrying too much." She sighed out loud, gazing with her emotionless face on the black board.

The commoner girl grasped after her schoolbag, taking out her lunchbox.

She sat quiet on her chair for a moment, getting the thought to something – since when did Kaoru get along with Valor?

She could see they had fun together in the class, but still.

It was good to see they could enjoy each other's company, but she couldn't help ask herself.

She couldn't stop thinking about Valor, like there something's off whenever a concept was about him.

The more she thought about him, the more confused she got.

Haruhi remembered that day when Hikaru ran out of the classroom, frustrated about being in a group without Kaoru – she sighed again, typical of them to stick towards one another. She moved the thought to the side, getting back to the main point; when the elder of the twins left, Kaoru followed after him right away. It was right after they had run out through the door, and Valor simply stood and gazed. There was something about the look he had in his eyes – they were kind of…_empty – indifferent._

He looked different on that day, and there was some sort of tension around him too.

He was… opposite of what he's usually whenever he meets people.

_A dark side maybe? _She couldn't really tell, perhaps it was because he said something strange afterwards.

_- "That door is going to fall__ off... I wonder if a student gets squashed."_

No, forget that. That sentence was not serious at all, even though he sounded like that.

After her told skill of reading people's personality like a book, she found the teen different from the others – he was mysterious indeed. She couldn't tell if he was serious or only making fun, but if she would describe him with one word – it would be… unpredictable? Or just strange. The more she thought about it, the more puzzled she got – Haruhi placed her elbow on the table, letting her chin rest on her palm. Why was it that she did wonder about the black head? Why was it that she couldn't possibly be certain about him? Why was it that he gets people confused and makes them wondering too much?

Haruhi shook her head slightly, scratching at her neck's back.

The girl blinked twice; _'Is there someone in here?_' She thought bluntly, feeling a present of a human near her. Actually, very close – to her ear.

"What do you want, Hikaru?" she was about to deadpan, while turning the head - she blinked with her eyes in amazement.

What she found wasn't the elder twin at all, and the person just stared down at her table, the chin above her shoulder.

She jerked away when eyes turned towards her face, and she yelped as she could feel how suddenly things seemed to turn upward.

She lost the chair's present underneath her, and bumped on the floor hardly.

Haruhi sat right up again, rubbing at the place where it hurt.

She watched up again, as the boy blinked back at her – offering a hand to lift her up.

The black-haired titled his head to the side, smiling amusedly. "You're okay?"

The commoner girl stared astonished, looking at Valor for a second. She grabbed his hand and was quickly lifted up to her standing.

"Sorry," Valor smiled in apologize, "I must have scared you since you fell off."

The girl scratched on the backside of her head, "Well, no… Not really." She shook her head slightly, why did she think it was Hikaru at first?

Valor watched at her, getting that confused face on again – he seemed to always look puzzled.

Haruhi stated out, "I thought you were Hikaru when you stood nearby…"

Though she did wonder why she thought it was the elder Hitachiin, and not someone else.

Kunisaki grimaced a bit, turning his amber eyes at the floor. "You thought I was Hikaru?" a grin slowly appeared on his lips, as he thought amusedly. "That's interesting."

The brown head raised an eyebrow, as she could swear she heard small sounds of laughter.

Valor turned the eyes at her again, smiling his usual upward curled lips – "Why did you think that?"

Haruhi shrugged on her shoulders, actually not understanding why – she just thought it was him.

The black-haired nodded, he didn't really have to know why, so he was fine with that.

"Valor…" Haruhi stated.

"Hm?" came a reply from the boy.

"You're still holding my hand."

Valor blinked, moving the eyes downward. He sweat dropped and laughed awkwardly, "Yeah... I do."

The door opened, and a face showed up in between.

A red-haired student watched with bewildered eyes at Haruhi, "Eh, did I interrupt something?" he gazed the hands of the two.

Valor turned the look over his shoulder, "Kaoru." he grinned then at him - "I was about to take Haruhi out to the cafeteria."

"Well, then what are we waiting for?" Kaoru responded, grinning as well.

The two boys dragged their friend towards the door, and walked out through the doorframe.

Haruhi didn't even get the change to say anything, getting pulled away from the classroom.

"Hey, wait! I'm not going with you guys!" She narrowed the eyes annoyed; the two didn't even listen to her. "Listen to me!" she almost yelled out. The two stopped up and turned their heads towards her, blinking innocently.

They asked in unison, "Demo Haruhi, why not?"

"Eh?" The commoner girl widened her eyes in disbelieve, as she watched at the two boys._'What was that?' _she thought bewildered, confused by the how they gazed back at her, how they stood next to each other, and how they surprisingly did the same at the same time.

She shook the thought off, "well, never mind." She ended pathetically, sweat-dropping.

That was creepy.

* * *

This chapter sucks, I need to do it better. 

Anyway, until next time! -grins-


	10. Consequences

Chapter X – Consequences

_They asked in unison, __"Demo Haruhi, why not?"_

"_Eh?" The commoner girl widened her eyes in disbelieve, as she watched at the two boys. 'What was that?' she thought bewildered, confused by the how they gazed back at her, how they stood next to each other, and how they surprisingly did the same at the same time._

_She shook the thought off, "well, never mind." She ended pathetically, sweat-dropping._

_That was creepy._

* * *

Hikaru let out a loud sigh, and faced the table with a thud. He just couldn't figure it out, and it bothered him a lot. _What should he do?_

He had to think deeply about it, try to solve it; what he heard from the girls before couldn't truly be real. They could have been lying, or heard rumours from some other students. Then he had nothing to be concerned about! He could relax, just keep things cool. That's right!

Nothing to bother with, just take it easy, and keep moving on!

'_G__AH! Who am I trying to fool!?' _the redhead knew that the girls did tell the true as always, they wouldn't lie about such things. How could they possibly say that, if it wasn't true? They loved everything about the host club, and the description of Kaoru and Kunisaki sounded a lot close to be a part of hosting. Or at least that's what Hikaru thought.

"What a mess!" he breathed out in defeat, his head lying down on the hard table.

First it was Haruhi, then the fan-girls; He couldn't take it, not when it's-…

"WHY!? WHY **KAORU!?** WHY HIM!?" he screamed out in disaster, and scratched hardly through his hair; it irritated him really much how Kaoru hanged out with Kunisaki. The students' attention got caught by his scream; they started to stare weirdly at the screaming boy. Hikaru sighed again, hanging with his head down in depression.

He placed his elbow on the table, while having the hand running down at his face. "Just what am I doing?" He muttered to himself in question, not really grasping the sudden freak out. Was he still that dependent of his brother? He should have grown out of that habit already; he should have stopped clutching at his twin, not doing it again. The twin slapped himself on the face, _just why did he think that? What kind of 'habit'?_ Nothing had changed between them the year before; the year when Haruhi became a host member.

Laughter came across, and Hikaru watched up to find the source of it; the laughter interrupted his mind, not because it was loud, but because he knew that kind of laughter too well - it sounded a lot like himself.

"Alright, I get! I get!" Hikaru blinked once or twice by the shout, the voice sounded like Haruhi."I'll eat lunch with you guys, just let go of me!"

A smile (which Hikaru knew could appear perfectly as the same on his mouth as well) came across one of the two teens, who held Haruhi by the arms.

They let go of her, while grinning widely at her. Even though Haruhi was annoyed, she smiled at them afterwards.

Hikaru frowned, finding how disturbing it was to watch them.

Kaoru and Haruhi seemed to be fine with Kunisaki after all, but he just couldn't make himself to be as well.

He just didn't like the black-haired, and the redhead lowed down the head once again.

The younger one of the twins turned around, while he held onto his tray of meal. He made a glance at the two behind him, smiling; "I'll go on ahead to find a place for us." Haruhi nodded as an answer of understanding, while Valor scratched through his hair, looking at what kinds of food there was - he didn't seem to have an idea of which meal he should take.

Kaoru turned away, taking a deep breath.

When Haruhi told him that Hikaru was here at school, he found it rather strange.

But he knew Haruhi told the true, why would she tell a lie anyways?

He sighed; _'Just what is my brother doing?'_

First he said he was sick, and then he's here after all.

He should try to find him, but where could he be?

And then of course, he noticed something, which answered to his question.

He noticed the familiar colour of hair; and the owner of that hair was sitting alone by a long table.

"Speaking of the devil." He said grinning, as he walked over to his elder twin. He placed the tray quietly on the table, without making a sound. Hikaru didn't even notice Kaoru's nearby present, and the younger one sat himself next to him. The tray was moved in front of Hikaru, and he blinked dumbly at the sudden appearing food. "What the-…?" he mumbled under his breath, a voice of chuckles came across his ears;

"You're not gonna eat?" the familiar voice asked.

The redhead threw his eyes at the teen beside him, surprised that Kaoru was suddenly next to him.

He stuttered while watching him with widen eyes. "H-how did you-…?"

"Find you?" The younger Hitachiin interrupted while having his eyes half-lifted - "I'm surprised too."

Hikaru just kept staring at him.

"Anyway, I thought you were sick, but that doesn't seem to be." Kaoru pointed the fact out with one finger, as he moved the eyes upwards. Then he turned towards his older twin, nodding at the tray. "Since you haven't got anything to eat yet, you can have some of mine."

"…" But there was still no reply from the elder one…

Kaoru rolled his eyes, and took a fork, which was lying on the tray. Then he took a bit of the meal with the fork, and lifted it up to his mouth.

He chewed the food, as a smile appeared on his features.

The redhead grinned then, taking another piece. "Hikaru, say aah!" he held it in front of Hikaru's half-gaping mouth.

That made the elder of them to blink amazedly back at the younger, and he made a grimace afterwards.

"What are you doing?" Hikaru asked rudely, while raising his eyebrow.

"Feeding you." Kaoru replied simply, "Isn't it normal?"

Hikaru sweat-dropped, looking with lidded eyes; he sighed - "Thanks, but I got my own hands to help me with that."

Kaoru's smiling face faded a bit, but only just a bit – "Hikaru, is there something that matters?"

The elder of them slapped on his face once again, while Kaoru stared blankly at him – finding it weird that his brother harmed himself. Hikaru hit himself mentally, of course Kaoru would notice if something was off with Hikaru! He should have known Kaoru's quickness of noticing things, and sometimes… it irritated him very much. He sighed in annoyance, responding to his twin – "Nothing, don't get so concerned all the time."

Kaoru watched him for a second, "Are you sure-…?"

"Just make me say that 'aah'-thing and feed me, okay?"

"Hey! There you are Kaoru!" the twins got interrupted in their conversation - the younger twin turned his around, and Hikaru did the same as well. Both looked up to the girl, as she smiled that cute smile she always did; or Hikaru thought it was a cute one. "Oh, Hikaru's here too?" Haruhi said with little surprise, very little surprise - "Where have you been?"

"I don't wanna talk about it…" the elder twin said lowly.

Kaoru gazed at those two; he closed his eyes while sighing quietly.

"You're okay, Kaoru?" Hikaru asked concerned, and the younger twin noticed the worry in his voice. He nodded with his head, grinning at his brother.

"Of course." was the reply from him, and he moved a sit away from Hikaru.

He clapped on the chair between him and his twin, calling after the commoner. "Haruhi, sit down here!"

Hikaru made a grimace, while Haruhi shrugged her shoulder – she sat on the chair between the twins, while having an emotionless face on.

"Thanks."

"No problem." The younger brother said, waving with his hand. He moved his attention at the table, and watched on it with interest. Though he found the wood rather nice with the colours, he didn't watch up to find Hikaru staring at him with a worried face. Hikaru blinked at him some few times, "You're not gonna eat?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"No, I'm fine." his twin replied, not watching up.

"But it's your tray." Hikaru said, raising an eyebrow.

"And I'm giving it to you."

And the elder of them sighed - he had thrown stares at the younger, but he decided that he couldn't make Kaoru watch away from the board in any seconds or change his mind. He shrugged on his shoulder, and let his attention somewhere else. "Haruhi," he said with lidded eyes, as boredom started to tug on him. "Where's your lunch?"

Haruhi gave him a glance, and then answered – "Valor said he would come with something, and that I should go on ahead."

Hikaru raised his eyebrow again, "So, he's offering lunch today? Well, that's nice." _She agreed to that? Why him and not when the twins offered last time?_ He tried to hold back the annoyance in his voice, but it didn't help at all. The commoner girl noticed it quickly; this time it was her lifting an eyebrow at him - "What's wrong with that?" The elder opened his mouth, but no words came through. They didn't get the chance to come out, as a boy came towards the table, and placed down a tray in front of Haruhi.

"Kaoru, I thought that you said Hikaru was sick?" the boy blinked with the amber eyes, surprised to see the elder twin was also here.

"Well… I did before." the younger twin replied back.

Valor smiled a little, and sat himself in front of the three. "Well, I hope you like what I have gotten you, Haruhi. It was difficult to choose." The teen said unsure, scratching his neck.

Haruhi took a glance at the food in front of her, and her eyes widened while she stared amazedly at it. "W-wow… This sure looks expensive. Are you sure I can have this?"

Valor nodded with a smile on his features, "Of course, just go on!"

"Um… okay then." She replied, while narrowing her eyes. The commoner girl took a piece of the meal, and suddenly her huge brown eyes shined with pleasure. 'How delirious…' she thought in herself – Valor grinned at the sight of the happy girl.

"How funny." He confirmed, as he shook his head a bit.

But then the black head blinked in puzzlement, when he noticed the empty space on Kaoru's part of the table.

He watched at his own food, and shrugged on his shoulder – he shoved gentle his own tray, moving towards Kaoru.

The redhead watched up, taken off-guarded. Valor smiled at him, "Here, you can have some of mine, if you want to."

The younger twin shook his head, - "No, that's-…" but he stopped as he saw what was on the tray. There was delirious marble syrup in a glass bottle, next to the main food on Valor's plait. He stared down at it for a moment, as Valor watched blankly in confusion. And the other Hitachiin felt really offended, most because Kunisaki could make Kaoru watch up from that so-damn boring board of a table!

"What's wrong?" the black-haired asked bluntly, referring to the younger twin.

"You…" Kaoru said curiously, still staring at the glass bottle with intense – "…You like eating that? The syrup?"

Valor turned away his face, sweat-dropping.

"It's weird; I know that…" he scratched through his hair, placing a smile on. "I do like syrup; even it's weird to pour it on everything."

That caused Kaoru to laugh, placing his palm on the mouth – he pressed the laughter back, but it didn't seem to work. Valor narrowed his amber eyes, not really sure if Kaoru was laughing at him. Kaoru grinned then, leaving the black head in confusion. "No," he said afterwards, still smiling with that grin - "it's not really _that_ weird."

Valor smiled then, while Haruhi watched the two teens.

"This is the first time I have seen you blush…" she told bluntly, causing the black head's smile to fade away – he threw his eyes at her, blinking rapidly with his mouth half-gaping.

"You noticed?" he asked surprised.

Haruhi studied his nervous reaction, and then smiled back to him. "Well, you can say that."

'_What the heck is this?'_ Hikaru thought in annoyance, as a vein was spotted on he's twitching face.

He stood up from his seat at once, and went away from the three students. Haruhi watched him leave, her huge brown eyes blinked a few times; why the elder redhead suddenly decided to disappear again, was beyond her thoughts. One second after, she saw his brother also walking away to catch him, rushing over to him and grasp his hand. But before he could reach out after the palm, Hikaru turned around to face him and moved the hand away from Kaoru's nearby one. The younger of them looked confused, and knitted his eyebrows together.

"What's the matter?" Hikaru rolled his eyes; Kaoru had asked that question** again**. It seemed like he wouldn't accept another 'nothing' as an answer.

"Shall I explain? 'Cause I don't want to." and Hikaru turned away again, making an escape-attempt from Kaoru. But the attempt unfortunately failed, as a vein popped on the younger twin's face – Kaoru snatched on Hikaru's shoulder, turning his twin around to face him. He pulled him closer and made sure, that Hikaru was looking back at him. "What's up with you? Why don't you just say it?!" some few student got their attentions caught in the sudden rising voice, and they were surprised to find it was Kaoru, who was almost shouting at his brother.

Hikaru saw how his twin was irritated by him; he was taken aback when Kaoru yelled. Being the one short-tempered; Hikaru yelled as well, but more aggressive than his brother's own. "I told you already! There's nothing that matters, damn it!!"

The commoner girl stood up from her seat, and rushed towards the twins. "Cho do, stop fighting you guys!" she tried to reach after Kaoru's shoulder, but an arm was blocking her way toward him. The brown-haired turned the eyes at Valor, as he stood and watched the twins. "What are you-…?" she half-finished her line, being interrupted by the black-haired's glance at her. Haruhi noticed the look in his eyes, and it somehow made him different, like those others times before. Kaoru kept on trying to get his elder brother to speak out, while Hikaru kept on trying to stop his younger twin from asking all the time. But the more they continued, the more it seemed to get serious.

"Hikaru, I want to know!"

"I'm not saying it!"

"Tell me what's wrong!!"

"No!"

Hikaru!!"

"No!!"

"Do it!!"

"Would you stop now!?" Hikaru shouted in irritation, "I don't want to tell! I don't care if you want to know, I don't care what you and Haruhi like about your new friend, I don't give it a damn!!!"

"You just told now." Kaoru deadpanned him, looking with half-lifted eyes.

"I mean-! Argh, forget it…!" Hikaru groaned in defeat, face-slapped himself - and all the seriousness faded. "It still doesn't matter." He made his way out of the cafeteria, as he didn't want to hang on the topic any longer – heck, he didn't even want to in the beginning!

Valor grimaced at the scene, scratching through his dark hair. He watched the younger Hitachiin standing on his place, while he looked at Hikaru's retreating back. Kaoru glanced at Haruhi for a moment, which caused her to turn towards him as well. The red-haired sighed heavily; he wanted to know whatever has been bothering his twin brother for these past days, but if Hikaru wouldn't tell – he guessed that he must forced it out of him. Kaoru walked then out of the cafeteria, and started to run after Hikaru.

Valor face-slapped himself, while Haruhi's attention got caught by the slapping sound. "Shit…! I totally forgot!" He cursed under his breath, and grabbed after the brown-haired's wrist – he pulled on her, while running towards the exit.

"W-what's wrong?!" she yelled bewildered, but got no reply from him.

* * *

"Hikaru, Wait!" 

Hikaru continued on walking, while his leg moved faster for each time his name got called.

As the many times for calling, the elder decided to stop his tracking – most because he didn't want Kaoru exhausted by running after him.

"What's… with… you?" the younger asked between his breathing, while having the hands on his knees. Hikaru decided to play dumb, and responded – "What?"

Kaoru sighed with a hand running down at his face, and watched up at his twin brother. "Don't play stupid… You know very well about what I mean."

"Like I said Kaoru, I don't want to talk about it." _'Not now…'_ the elder twin thought in his mind afterwards, as he turned around and started to walk again.

"What are we doing?" Haruhi whispered to Valor in question – they moved quietly towards a corner of the corridors. "Shh…" the black head lifted up his finger in front of his mouth, which made the girl to narrow her eyes at him. "There they are." He whispered lowly, and the commoner girl blinked, while having the thoughts of he might have meant the twins. Not being to her surprise, she was right about that.

'_Valor always seems to have something with those two. I wonder__ why though…'_ the thought crossed over her mind, while she gazed at the teen in wonders.

"Haruhi!"

Both Haruhi and Valor got a shock by the loud exclaim – a guy ran towards the brown-haired, and with a happy smile on his face. Haruhi knew that guy too well. _'Idiot!'_the two second-high school'ers thought on the same time – now their cover's blown off.

"Tamaki-sempai…" she hissed under her breath, and the blond head hugged her tightly. True happiness was on shown on his features, "I'm so glad to see you, Haruhi! We never meet each other at the corridors!"

The girl clapped her hand on his mouth, as for making him to shut up. "Keep it low, would you?" Her face twitched in annoyance.

"Well, I'm quite curious about you two as well." another teen said, as he walked towards the three. The teen pushed up his glasses, while watching down at his notebook. "By the way," he continued, "What are you two sneaking around for?"

"That doesn't concern you." Valor responded to Kyoya, causing the rest to stare at the smaller black-haired. _'Wasn't that kinda rude?'_ Haruhi thought, as she looked with half-lifted eyes and sweat-dropped. Kyoya lifted an eyebrow upwards, while scribing some few notes down. "Is that so?"

"Ne, Valval-chan… wouldn't you tell us what's happening here?" a small blond-haired came across, and a pink bunny was inside his red bag –the ears of the plush bunny was showing out in between the opening of the rucksack. Valor blinking at those flying pink flowers around the blond head, but shook the head some few times. "It's not a good idea to have so many people here." He whispered out, turning the look at the crowd. But then he stared blankly when he saw a tall guy standing next to the small blond. _'What a stoic face…' _he thought, while having a strange look on his features.

"I told you Kaoru; It doesn't matter!" a voice yelled with frustration - the entire crowd moved quickly towards corner; they watched from the side, while squashing the commoner girl and her black-haired classmate.

"They're arguing?" the taller blond said in bewilderness; his eyes widening in disbelieve.

"Of course, it matters!" Kaoru yelled back at his brother, clenching his hands into fists. "Why can't you tell me!?"

"Why don't you just go back to Haruhi and your new friend instead?!" The elder red-haired once again shouted back, gritting his teeth together. Hikaru turned around again, he hated to argue with Kaoru – so, he just wanted to leave before anything goes wrong.

"Is it Haruhi?" Kaoru asked which caused the elder redhead to stop his tracking.

"What?!" he back-fired Kaoru; Hikaru still felt the annoyance inside him; the host club and Valor watched the teens - one of them curiously, and rest of them in disbelieve. Hikaru didn't regain his calm as quick as Kaoru did, as he paced directly toward him, until their faces were in front of one another. "What has this to with her?!"

'_Yeah... What does it have to do with me?'_ the commoner girl thought, while sweat-dropping.

The younger Hitachiin twitched his face, but held back the new coming irritation. "Well, you said her name? That tells me it has something to do with her."

Hikaru sighed heavily, running his hand down at his face. "Couldn't you just… care less?!"

"No." Kaoru replied shortly, which caused the other Hitachiin's face to twitch.

"It has nothing to do with her."

"Then what?"

"Shall I spell it?"

"Hikaru, I'm being serious here."

"N-O-T-H-I-N-…"

"WOULD YOU QUIT IT!!??" the younger one screamed right at Hikaru's face, as the elder Hitachiin shut his mouth completely, taken aback with widen eyes. "YOU'RE BEING STUPID HIKARU! IT ISN'T THAT HARD TO TELL, THAT SOMETHING'S BOTHERING YOU, JUST TELL WHAT THE HECK IS WRONG!!!"

The host club stared with their mouths gaping, didn't expect the younger of them to shout with such anger.

"What are you saying…?" Hikaru stated lowly, moving one step closer to Kaoru. The younger Hitachiin breathed in and out, his head hanging downwards; the scream made him to lose some air, and he breathed heavily. "You think I'm that simple?" asked the older one, gritting the teeth again. Kaoru held his mouth shut, but got confused by those things Hikaru said. "You know everything about my problems? About how to tell?"

'_What am I doing?'_ the thought rushed through his mind, _'Why do I say this to Kaoru?'_ Hikaru didn't know; he didn't have any clue of why he was doing this. The strange feelings inside, they made him act without control.

"You're so smart, right?" Hikaru said, while he clenched his fist tightly. Kaoru watched up at him, after hearing all those words from his twin - He didn't want this – he didn't want this – he didn't want this – he didn't wan-…

"_DON'T BE SO FULL OF YOURSELF!!!"_

Suddenly, things went quiet – but the sound of a slap kept repeating through the corridors.

The host members' eyes widened, while they had their mouths gaping widely. The twins' eyes widened as well, both of them in shock from what happened. Kaoru watched the floor on the right side, while he lifted the hand slowly towards his cheek – it burned from the slap he received.

Hikaru watched his own hand; it shook uncontrollably. He turned the look at his twin, then back at the hand, and over again. He tried to say something to Kaoru, tried to tell him, tried to apologize. But nothing came through his lips – he just wanted to say something, just anything!

"KONOYARO!!!" a scream came abruptly, and hands were now pushing at the elder one, shoving him towards the wall. Fists tied on his uniform, as the black head glared at Hikaru with anger. "Just why the heck did you do that for!!??"

The anger came back again in Hikaru's veins, as he glared back into Valor's eyes; he pushed him away, grabbing at his blue jacket - "What are _you_ interfering for!? Who asked you to come??!!"

"Hold on you two!" Tamaki called out after the angry teens – he and Kyoya held Hikaru back, while Takashi and Haruhi held Valor away from the redhead. Both of them struggled after each other, trying to strangle one another's neck. They gritted with their teeth, tried to push those who held them back.

"Hikaru, take it easy!!" Tamaki shouted, but the red-haired didn't want to listen at all. "Hikaru!!!"

"Let go of me, Tono!" the older twin hissed, throwing death-glares at Valor.

"Valor, Calm down!" Haruhi told the black head, holding one of his arms back. The teen appeared to be stronger than he looked, and Haruhi and Takashi had trouble of keeping him away. "Valor, listen to me!" the girl yelled at him, but he kept on struggling himself free. _'He's so childish! He and Hikaru are somewhat like each other!'_ She thought in herself, while twitching with her face. _'Both are completely out of control!'_

"Kao-chan! Are you okay!?" Mitsukuni ran towards the younger one of the twins, but Kaoru stood still on his place – he couldn't grasp what he had received before him. He was shocked, and couldn't say anything to the little blond-haired. "Kao-chan," Mitsukuni kept calling after him, "Kao-chan, say something!"

"I said, let go Tono!!" Hikaru shouted out, stepping his foot hardly on Tamaki's – the blond guy yelped then, letting go of the teen and jumped up and down. Hikaru took the opportunity to break away from Kyoya, and rushed towards Valor. He grabbed him on the collar, dragging him down on the floor. Haruhi and the rest of the guys tried to grab after the redhead, but that was difficult when those two were rolling on the floor – dragging at each other.

In the end, Valor shoved Hikaru down and held him there, as the red-haired's head was pushed hard on the floor. He clenched the hands on his collar, while glaring down at him. "Don't do such irrelevant behaviours!" the black-haired hissed with anger, "You don't have a clue of self-control, baka!"

"Look who's talking, freak!" the redhead back-fired, trying to break free from the teen's grasp.

"That's enough."

Both of them stopped when the words passed their mind, casuing them to watch up. They recognized the voice, and realized that it was the younger twin who spoke. Kaoru had turned the head towards the side, watching down at the floor underneath him. His reddish hair covered the eyes, as he sighed deeply into the air. He turned his face up, smiling as if nothing was wrong.

"I'm fine, okay?" he stated to the entire crowd, scratching through his hair. "Nothing hurts, so you don't have to get concerned about me."

"Kaoru…" Haruhi said quietly, watching worriedly at him – _he can't be serious…_

"I'm fine, right Hikaru?" he looked at his twin brother with a softly smile, but the elder one frowned by that.

Right now, Hikaru felt really idiotic; that was irresponsible of him to harm his twin, and worst of all – Kaoru accepted the slap and told that everything was fine. Hikaru hated himself now.

"Don't accept things like that." That made the younger redhead to blink in confusion, as he looked at Valor in puzzlement.

"None of you two has the clue of which consequences it will cost." The black-haired stood up from the floor, letting go of Hikaru's collar. His eyes seemed different, as he spoke in a dark tone – the host members stared at him, not sure of how to react at this. No one knew how Valor was; they didn't know why the teen suddenly became dark in his aura.

Valor opened his mouth, as words came through his lips – "If you just leave it as it is, then you'll just end up like…" he turned his face from the crowd and started to walk away. Haruhi grasped his shoulder before he could go any longer, she shook him slightly – "Valor, what's wrong?"

"Forget what I said." He replied shortly, taking her hand away from his shoulder. But the commoner girl held firmly on his palm instead, as to make him tell further. She gazed at the black head, while Valor watched towards the side.

"What happened?"

"It's nothing, Haruhi… now let go of my hand."

"Not until you have told us."

"I don't want to talk about it!" his voice raised up, as he tugged on her palm – trying to get free. Haruhi threw a glance at the hosts, as for telling them to help her. Funny enough, the host members _did_ rush over to the teens, and helped with holding Valor on the place. The black-haired fought his way from them, but kept on grasping after him and held him tightly on the place. "He's strong, no doubt of that." Tamaki confirmed with a troubled looked on his face.

"Can't you tell us what it is that makes you sad?" Haruhi asked worriedly, while the black head struggled between the guys.

"Why can't you understand? I don't want to!"

"Then what will happen if Hikaru and Kaoru end the fight just like that? Can you tell us?"

"Stop asking those questions!" the black-haired started to yell again, getting frustrated by each time he heard Haruhi's questions to him. "I don't want to tell! Why can't you just leave me alone!?"

"Because we care." The host president spoke out, which is to Valor's surprise that it came from him. "If you keep yourself with those feelings, you might not be able to get through it."

The struggling slowly began to stop, after hearing what Tamaki had said to the teen. "Now, will you tell what it is?" the blond asked calmly.

Valor sighed heavily, his face troubled – he didn't want to tell them anything, he just didn't. "What I was trying to say;" he swallowed down the ache inside of him, "- that things, like fights between humans with deep bonds, can lead to emptiness and regrets."

The two Hitachiin blinked at the same, while being bewildered of what Valor had told. "How do you know- ?" Hikaru asked unsure, "- That things could get bad?" Kaoru continued the question further, as he looked worried as the elder twin did.

"Because…" Valor turned the eyes at both of them, watching indifferently. "- I have tried it."

* * *

Guess there isn't anything to say... I'll see you in the next chapter. 

_- Kunisaki _


	11. Suspicion

**Chapter XI – Suspicion**

_Valor sighed heavily, his face troubled – he didn't want to tell them anything, he just didn't. "What I was trying to say;" he swallowed down the ache inside of him, "- that things, like fights between humans with deep bonds, can lead to emptiness and regrets."_

_The two Hitachiin blinked at the same, while being bewildered of what Valor had told. "How do you know- ?" Hikaru asked unsure, "- That things could get bad?" Kaoru continued the question further, as he looked worried as the elder twin did._

"_Because…" Valor turned the eyes at both of them, watching indifferently. "- I have tried it."_

* * *

It was silent in their shared room.

The twins sat on their each side of the bed, back-facing one another.

The younger of them hadn't said anything for a long time, while Hikaru just looked away – turning his face downcast.

"I'm sorry."

Kaoru held his gaze on the window, watching the sunset. He sighed quietly, lifting his leg closer to himself.

"It's okay." He said, reassuring to his brother.

Hikaru was silent; they kept their faces away from each other. Then after, he spoke -

"I'm really sorry."

A sigh came through the younger's lips, as he closed and reopened his eyes - "Hikaru…" he stated quietly, turning the head over his shoulder. Hikaru hadn't turned his face to him, and the younger redhead clutched his hand on the soft fabric underneath his grasp. "Can't you tell me what's wrong?" he asked his brother.

Hikaru pressed his teeth together, hearing his twin's voice in such a condition. The redhead could feel how smaller he got, as Kaoru's defeated and worried tone came across his ears.

"Kaoru…" he said lowly, but beyond a whisper; "I don't know…"

What was happening to him? Why did he feel like screaming? Why did he suddenly want to break something, just anything? Why couldn't he control himself? Why did he hit Kaoru on the face, when he knew he'll regret it so badly? Why did he feel so frustrated, whenever Kunisaki was there?

Something hit inside his mind; _yeah… why did all the frustration come, when Kunisaki was around?_

Hikaru blinked with his eyes, clenching his fist on the side of the madras, trying to concentrate. He didn't like him, that's for sure. Every time he thought about him, Hikaru would clench his hands on everything and try to tear them apart. He even got those weird, uncomfortable and stifling reactions, whenever the black head had a sort of connection to Hikaru. He's not sure of what or why, but that Kunisaki fellow was about to something. The question was what those strange reactions meant, and why they had something to do with the smaller teen.

"Why do you look so troubled?" the redhead heard the voice of his brother, as Kaoru suddenly stood and stared right in front of him. Hikaru flung himself away, having a shocked expression on.

The younger of them had moved off their bed, and came in front of his twin, as he just stared at the face of his mirror image.

Hikaru narrowed his eyes, regaining his composed self – "Don't do that." He warned him, pointing one finger at the younger sibling's direction.

Kaoru chuckled then, sitting himself beside Hikaru, "Hai hai, I won't do it again."

He smiled, while placing his hand on his brother's; "You must be tired, let's get some sleep."

* * *

'_Because… I have tried it.'_

The girl sighed heavily, wondering what the black-haired teen meant about his words.

Haruhi paced back to her home, as she had bought some foodstuffs to the dinner with her father.

While she walked on the streets, Haruhi kept thinking about what Valor had said at school before, and she couldn't help the picture in her head; how indifferent he was.

But she swore she saw something else, even if Tamaki and others, or Valor himself; didn't noticed the hurt look in the teen's eyes.

Does it mean he lost someone dear to him?

She couldn't tell who it could be – Valor had never really talked about his life, never told her about it.

She found it a bit unfair, as the black head knew more about her than she knew about him.

Maybe there isn't anyone who knows anything about Valor.

When she tried to get him to tell, asking some question, he would somehow manage to make a turn in the conversation, and without anyone noticing.

Haruhi hit herself mentally; it was first now she noticed his trick, how he always avoided the main topic, whenever it's about his background.

But maybe just now, she could find a way to get him to tell; just maybe she had a better chance to do so.

First of, she had to think about it, planning the whole concept correctly.

Maybe, she could manage to make him tell.

* * *

"Morning Hikaru, Kaoru." The brown-haired hostess greeted them with an unsure smile.

The twins sat quietly on their chairs; the elder held the eyes on the table in front of him, and the younger looked towards the other side.

Haruhi sighed with closed eyes, wondering if they still hadn't recovered from the sudden mistake. She glanced at the seat beside Kaoru, but then she blinked – something was off.

"He's not here?" _'There went that plan…'_ - she thought in herself.

Valor wasn't on his seat as he usually did every day. Haruhi knew that, because she and the black-haired came to school early in the morning. As the many times they have lately given each other company, they would sit in the class for the most of the time, waiting for the rest of the class to come in as well.

She came to school as she usual did; she thought that Valor was in another place instead of the class – a place like the library. She didn't find him though, and she met the twins instead when she came back to the classroom, but they were sort of different today.

"He's not here, if you're talking about Kunisaki."

Haruhi turned the look at the elder of the twins; his head was now lying on the table, as he exhausted a tired sigh.

"I guess he isn't coming today." Kaoru sighed as tiresome as his brother did, also lying his head on his own desk.

Haruhi raised an eyebrow at the two of them.

"What's the matter with you now?" she asked, placing her bag on her desk, which stood beside Hikaru's right.

The twins watched up to the commoner, their eyes half-lifted.

"Nothing, we're just bored."

The girl grimaced a face; "Good to see you're all fine again with each other." - At least they had made up their fight from that day - though, it still concerned her. "Haruhi-kun?" the commoner turned around, as she heard a female voice of their customers.

She faced the girl – "Yes?"

The girl looked sad and worried, while making herself clear to speak further; "Do you know where Kunisaki-kun is?"

Haruhi shook her head, "No, I don't."

"Oh… okay then." The female student managed a smile on, "I was just wondering."

'_Wow… things seem to be in an awful mood suddenly.'_ The commoner girl mentally told herself, knotting the brows together with an uneasy expression.

She watched around the classroom, and somehow – the class seemed to be in a sort of dressed atmosphere.

_'Does Valor really affect the others so much?'_

Maybe it was just the female students, who seemed to be interested in him; but Haruhi herself was also somehow depressed.

It could have been because of the last line he said, before leaving her and the host club by themselves.

'_He just looked so sad, but I don't think he even noticed the hurt look in his eyes._'

Even if he was smart, he was somehow unaware about his own sadness - Haruhi didn't thought anyone could see it anywhere; he was always glad, always smiled to people around him.

He was showing a happy face… maybe too much.

He was so much glad all the time, that it was strange – odd to see him act different.

Haruhi thought about all those times when he didn't smile; like when he watched the twins in a somewhat distance look in his eyes; and when he stopped her from interfering the fight between Hikaru and Kaoru, even if the fight wasn't really serious at first. What about that time when he struggled against the elder twin? The others and she didn't know why he was in an angry state; that he would even punch, kick or anything else that would be taken as violence.

Too emotional could he be taken as, but he looked so serious by the fact, that the twins argued with each other. She didn't know about the twins' and Valor's relationship with each other, but there was something between them, which affected the black head in a bad way.

Haruhi hadn't talked about it to the two redheads, unsure about if it was a good idea, to discuss about this topic. But she guessed that even if she told them about it, they wouldn't really know either. The fact that they and the others couldn't remember Valor exactly was blocking her way to the answer; which she maybe had been searching for.

If they just could remember… then it would have been at least a bit easier…

"Hey!" a sudden hand appeared in front of her, and she started to blink her eyes in puzzlement, while it waved up and down.

"What are you spacing out for?" Haruhi figured out that it was the younger redhead, who called her.

Kaoru watched the brown-haired for a second, he asked her; "Something troubling you?"

"Well, yeah… pretty much." The girl sighed deeply, and made herself to sit down on her chair.

Kaoru tugged on his eyebrows, glancing to his right side as he stood in front of Haruhi's table.

He leaned against the desk from behind in a stand-sitting position; he frowned a bit before watching up again.

"Haruhi," he said firmly, but a bit quiet than usual; "can I talk to you for a second?"

Haruhi blinked at him, turning the head towards where Hikaru was sitting.

She knitted her brows together, and turned back to Kaoru – "Sure, Shall we get to some other place?"

Kaoru nodded without a second thought, and the girl rose from her seat; walking out of the classroom with the younger Hitachiin behind her. They made their way towards the halls, and went over to a corner. Haruhi turned around, facing the redhead; "What is it?" she asked patiently, as the teen in front of her started to scratch the back of his neck. His eyes went up, as he made a glance at her, and then turned the look towards the side.

"You see…" he spoke as quiet as he did before – "I'm kinda worried, Haruhi. I don't really know what's going on."

Haruhi blinked with her brown eyes, taking this serious; "What do you mean?"

"It's just…" he started, but held back the words again. He closed his eyes and took a breath in.

Then his eyes went open, and began to speak again –

"Haruhi, I think there is something weird happening around us, and I don't know why, but I'm getting worried, and even that I can't tell the reason why I'm so confused, and Hikaru doesn't seem to be well too, but he can't tell why, and I think I'm getting a hysterical attack, 'cause I'm speaking too much fast right now, and I can't seem to stop and take a breath, but-!"

A hand clapped on his mouth, as to make him stop; Kaoru turned the look at Haruhi's expression, as she held her face calm.

He blinked, as she replied to him. "Take it easy, Kaoru. Don't get all rushed so suddenly."

The redhead nodded slowly with his head, as the girl removed her hand from his mouth.

She sighed, watching back at him; "Why did you tell me all this?"

Kaoru smiled then, while placing his hands into his pockets,

"I kinda needed to say something out…" he started to smile a grin, the usual Hitachiin smile he always placed on.

"Actually, it helped quite a lot! Thanks for that Haruhi!" the teen clapped his hand on top of her head, as she just grimaced with a raised brow.

"Glad I could help." She replied back, grabbing after the hand and removed it from her.

The Hitachiins and their strange ways of act – she sighed once again.

"But…" Kaoru stated more seriously, which caused the girl to turn her eyes at him again. "I'm serious about the fact that I'm worried… but I just don't know why."

Haruhi softened her face, understanding that he was in fact troubled. "Could you tell what could possibly have the reason, which makes you worried?" she asked, while she tried to help him out.

Kaoru sat for a moment in his thought, and then watched up to Haruhi.

"I think it was because of the fight yesterday, that it made me all worried," he began to shake his head a bit – "But I don't think that's it… maybe it was long before that."

"I see…" Haruhi quietly said, being pulled in her own thoughts.

"Say-!" the two busted out at the same time; the redhead grinned in amusement as the other just smiled. "You go ahead, Kaoru." She offered with a hand, and Kaoru nodded in understanding.

"You see, Haruhi… I've been thinking about, that it might have something to do with Valor…"

"Eh?" the girl blinked with her widening eyes, "You thought that too?"

Kaoru was quiet for a second, and then he started to chuckle a bit, "Guess I wasn't the only one then."

Haruhi watched him, thinking about the same thing. At least she wasn't the only one who was affected by the strangeness of their new friend.

"We should talk to him about it, maybe." The redhead stated, as the commoner returned back from her mind.

She sighed a bit - "The problem is that he isn't the type to speak freely, whenever it's about himself."

He should have known that Haruhi was quick at these kinds of things; he began to scratch on his cheek. "I bet that there isn't anyone who knows about his background… Friends, family or any relatives for that matter, I don't think he has any siblings, but we could try to ask his parents-..."

"Wait!" Haruhi interrupted the teen, getting back to the thinking again. She remembered what Valor had told her on the day they started to speak, something that might could help them; "Valor has a sibling!"

Kaoru started blankly for a second, then he asked; "Haruhi… how do you know that? He told you?"

"What's the matter with that?" she asked back, as if it was a bad thing to know.

Kaoru sighed a bit, clearing his throat and watched back at her. "If he has a sibling, how should we find them?"

"Easy enough, I guess… she walks here at this school."

"Really?"

"After what he told me." Haruhi confirmed firmly, and the Hitachiin placed his hand upon his chin.

All of a sudden, he began to grin a wide smile. "You're right, it should get easy to find her then."

The girl blinked in confusion; _what was that grin for?_

"I don't know what you're plotting… but it doesn't seem to be a good thing." The commoner girl stared at him with lidded eyes, while she sweat-dropped.

But somehow, it looked like he didn't listen to her, already starting to plan his actions.

He raised a finger upwards, turning back towards the brown-haired.

"Since it's impossible to get into the school's system site without an access, I think I need a certain laptop for getting into it."

Haruhi watched him, blinking some few times before her eyes widened in disbelieve. A certain laptop, which has access to all kinds of data – that included the school's system. And it's because the certain owner's friend, is the son of the school's chairman. "You're not going to steal Kyoya-senpai's stuff, are you?"

"'Stealing' is such a bad word, Haruhi…I prefer 'borrow'."

_'He still won't be happy about it.'_ The girl thought in herself, while watching her innocent-looking classmate.

She glanced at her wrist to see the time, and when she did – her eyes widened. "We better get back to the room now, the class has already started!"

"EH? Really?" Kaoru responded, and the two of them began to return to the class immediately.

they started to run, getting closer to the classroom.

As they made their way back, a sudden collapsing sound crashed inside the room, and a scream came right after.

The girl stopped, and so did the redhead as well.

Haruhi blinked some times, wondering what that crash was.

Kaoru tensed up, while his eyes widened a bit; he was getting worried again.

The brown-haired turned the head towards the teen, getting concern of the twin's uneasiness.

"Kaoru?" she asked worriedly, but the red-haired went quickly towards the door –

"…" – and he stood there, frozen on the place, just standing by the doorframe.

"Hitachiin-san, can you hear me?" the teacher shook on the figure, which had been sitting by a table before. The students watched, as some of the girl kept asking if the redhead was going to be fine. Kaoru's face became paler, and he busted into the room, rushing in through the people. Haruhi stood by the door, staring with a shocked expression; her hand in front of her mouth.

"Hitachiin-san, hang in there!"

_'Hikaru!'_ The younger twin yelled inside himself, as he knelt down in front of his brother's lying torso. He grabbed after him, lifted him up to an embrace; he held him while biting on his lower lip. Hikaru was… complete gone, spaced out. Kaoru went into the horrified dread, shaking his twin roughly. "Hikaru, wake up! This isn't funny!" Kaoru said with a raised tone, but under a shout.

He shook and shook, tried to make Hikaru stop this act and just laugh like he always did. But he knew Hikaru wasn't joking… He…-

He didn't breathe…

* * *

Oh shit... I killed him... o.O

Anyway... I'll see you in the next coming chapter.

If I even get to survive...

_- Kunisaki_


	12. Intervalo

Chapter XII – Intervalo

"_Hitachiin-san, can you hear me?" the teacher shook on the figure, which had been sitting by a table before. The students watched, as some of the girl kept asking if the redhead was going to be fine. Kaoru's face became paler, and he busted into the room, rushing in through the people. Haruhi stood by the door, staring with a shocked expression; her hand in front of her mouth._

"_Hitachiin-san, hang in there!"_

'_Hikaru!' the younger twin yelled inside himself, as he knelt down in front of his brother's lying torso. He grabbed after him, lifted him up to an embrace; he held him while biting on his lower lip. Hikaru was… complete gone, spaced out. Kaoru went into the horrified dread, shaking his twin roughly. "Hikaru, wake up! This isn't funny!" Kaoru said with a raised tone, but under a shout. He shook and shook, tried to make Hikaru stop this act and just laugh like he always did. But he knew Hikaru wasn't joking… He…-_

_He didn't breathe…_

* * *

He stared into the frozen air… he felt that nothing moved at all.

His eyes blinked, his face showing the inner bewilderment– it was like the time was frozen.

"What the-…?" he turned the look at the other students around him.

His voice called; "Kaoru?" but no reply from the familiar voice of his twin came to him, Kaoru wasn't even in the classroom.

He turned towards the rest of the students, "Hey, have you seen-….?"

Hikaru stopped, seeing how they didn't react when he called after them. They couldn't move – they were stopped by the time, stopped when someone was about to tell another one about yesterday's event, stopped when someone was throwing a ball across the room, and the ball itself was frozen on the air.

They didn't finish their laughter – their fun – when everything was frozen.

His eyes widened in frustration, his mouth half-gaping.

"Am I dreaming again?" Hikaru turned the look around again, trying to comprehend what was happening around him.

'_This must be a dream,'_the teen thought to him constantly – but… somehow he also argued to the thought.

He still believed in what happened – that time when everything stopped for him at the first time – it wasn't something his mind imagined.

Because it still felt so real.

It was dead quiet in the classroom, except for the breathing sound he made.

The redhead rose up from his seat; the chair shrieked, as it moved against the floor.

He looked at the door in hesitation; but he shook his head and moved towards it.

His heart was starting to throb in tension, as he came closer to the door.

He narrowed his eyes, wondering why his heart was beating so quickly.

He swallowed down, having the fear that something might happen – and if ever – something that Hikaru didn't like would happen soon.

A hand placed on the knob; he stopped for a moment, swallowing once again. The door opened slowly, as Hikaru pulled on the door handle. He watched from side to side, silence was filling the halls - though in not a pleasant way, the silence was killing the urge to walk further. Somehow, Hikaru recognized the fear, the strangling silence and how everything felt like freezing. It was like on that time he met that black-clothed killer, timekeeper or whatever he was, which Hikaru didn't really care much about.

The redhead pulled himself together, taking a step out of the room.

As he slowly started to walk, he could feel how frozen the things around were.

Time just didn't move, like it didn't exist at all.

The halls were empty – of course there were no students around; they were all in their classes in this time of period.

His steps countered the floor, loud and clear in his ears.

Why was it now that he decided to take a walk? Perhaps, out of curiosity?

When he came towards a corner, his eyes blinked a bit. He saw his brother and his classmate Haruhi; they were having a talk with each other.

He moved over to them, waving a hand at their faces. But like the other students, they were frozen on the place.

Kaoru looked like he was frustrated over something, and Haruhi was apparently trying to help him.

Hikaru knitted his eyebrows, what were they talking about?

Even if he wanted to be by their side, he turned away and walked further at the hallway. The school seemed to darken up, or something made the lights to dim the place.

Then something made Hikaru to turn around in a snatch, panicking a bit. He could swear that he heard something from behind, small sounds of giggles - like when the fangirls watched the twins doing their performance.

It could be them, or some girls. But… wasn't he the only who could move? He froze, as the giggling sounds came again; filling the halls and repeating over and over. All Hikaru's insides tightened up, the cold sweats on his face – the giggles around him were getting louder, ringing inside his head. They turned into laughter instead, not the amused kind, but sort of… vicious.

The redhead moved backwards, his face twitching nervously in pure fright.

"I better turn back to Kaoru and Haruhi… they can properly move again." He said quickly, as he fought down the high-pitched sound in his voice.

As he was about to turn around and run away like hell, he felt like there was something behind his back. When he bumped into whatever it was, he gulped and started to tremble uncontrollably with his entire body. Whatever that 'something' was, it breathed right behind Hikaru, right on the back of his neck.

The Hitachiin turned the eyes slowly, terrified to see what it was.

And then he saw it - a grin, a huge one to be correctly… the teeth glowed sharply in the dark, as a whisper came from the wicked smirk.

_"I.found.you…"_

Hikaru cracked, lost all colours and all confidents…

He ran as fast as he could, as the horror screamed with laughter.

"AAAAARRGGGHHH!!"

Another scream came from the opposite side of the halls, a scream of fear and help.

"Someone, please help me!" a voice cried in desperation; the redhead blinked a bit, seeing some shadows moving from the corner of the corridor. He stopped up, eyes widening - That voice… it sounded like one of the students.

"Let me go! Where are you taking me?!" a boy cried with a shuddering tone, tears flowing out from his widening eyes.

What he referred to was a not a human, but a strange creature with long arms. Things that looked like bones to Hikaru were sticking out from its back, and a mask was held tightly on the face by blood covered bandages.

_What was that thing?_

Hikaru eyes widened, seeing who the boy was. A student, a freshman in high school – was he one of the new ones?

When the boy saw Hikaru, he immediately rose his hand up, stretched the arm towards the redhead – desperation filled his pale face.

"H-help me… PLEASE, HELP ME!!" he screamed after Hikaru, while the wicked being dragged on the freshman, pulling him into a darker part of the hall. The boy shrieked in dread, "SAVE ME!!"

Hikaru watched, completely frozen on the ground.

He couldn't move, as the fear rose inside him. He couldn't help the boy…

He yelled at himself mentally, screaming; _'Go and save him! Don't stand there and do nothing!'_

But Hikaru knew the outcome already – he wouldn't have the courage to save the boy, he couldn't even if he wanted to…

A shrieking sound filled the corridors, beating inside of the elder twin's ears.

Hikaru held onto them tightly with his hands, blocking the freshman's screaming in dreadful cries.

Breaking sounds of bones, noises of flesh torn apart. Silence came once again; the redhead was losing his balance on the floor, he gasped after the air, too shocked of what was happening around him. _Was this real? How could it…?_

He managed to get a hold on the wall, before he would fall on his knees. He started to choke, as if he was about to throw up in disgust and pure anxiety. _This wasn't real, it was not real!_

"Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up-!" Hikaru repeated to himself, grasping his head as his hands were clenching on his hair, pressing hardly on his ears. He kept telling to himself, _'This is only a dream, a nightmare!' _- No one was dying around him; no one was getting eaten by horrified looking creatures; no one was screaming for help or cried until their last breath ended!

_Absolutely NO ONE!_

In his thoughts of terrified horror, he didn't notice what was around him; he didn't see nor hear anything creeping towards him. Slowly, a shadow of a huge claw rose up above the elder twin's shadow, ready to reap the top from his body. Hikaru blinked, he could swear that he heard something, but what? He turned his head over his shoulder, but his eyes met nothing than the dark hall. He swallowed down – nothing was good at all, not at this alternated world of a darker side. His eyes caught something, as they widened with anxiety. _What was that above his shadow?_

The strange shadow, which looked like a claw to him, moved by itself and directed towards Hikaru's shadow.

Hikaru jerked himself away and fell backwards, as the floor in front of him suddenly cracked, split up – something had dug holes on the floor in long uneven splits.

"What the-…?!" the redhead rose up, seeing how the parts of the floor flew over his head.

A shrilling scream suddenly appeared, as it began to tear apart his eardrums - he grasped after his head and shot his eyes tightly – the cry was unbearable.

He would run away, he knew that he should, no, he must get away!

But the scream had paralysed his legs, preventing them from leaving the ground. They jerked, and Hikaru crashed onto his knees.

Whatever the cry was doing to him, it seemed to strangle the air away from his lungs.

He gasped and panted desperately for breath, his hand reaching after his neck.

He could feel how the air disappeared, and he felt onto his side on the floor.

Eyes widened, filled with horrified terror.

_Was he going to die here?_

The eyes rose up, his head turn upwards – what he saw was the source of the scream. Large teeth; sharp and filled with slime running down to the ground. There were so many eyes on that thing, and they glowed in the darkness. Though this place was sort of grey, the eyes glowed with some kind of sharp green glow. Hikaru stared; no sound came between his paralysed lips. His whole body was numb, as he lied there, completely frozen by sight of that terrifying beast.

_Why was this happening to him!?_

The creature crawled towards him; hunger filled its hundred eyes and the jaw became bigger when it opened up, ready to dig in the redhead entirely. It was his turn to get eaten.

The beast came, jumping in an incredible speed – Hikaru shot his eyes, holding his breath. _Was this it?_

A sound came across his ears, like the sound of an object clicked, opened. His eyes went open – a pocket watch?

…

"_Hee…? __ Looks like you found something delicious to eat?"_ a smirk appeared, as the voice talked to the wicked creature.

The beast fought after Hikaru's head, the claws raking on the floor as it tried to reach him. Hikaru stared with his mouth half-gaping, while the intruder stepped harder on the beast's front, which Hikaru would call 'the face'. The guy sighed slightly, while he watched at the watch he held in his palm. The pocket-watch was closed again, and went into the pocket.

"_Look at this mess you've done, shall I really clean up after you?"_ he pressed his foot further, as the front eyes started to burst with slime running out. The beast didn't have any eyelids; the reason why it didn't cover the eyes from blowing up.

The monster cried out loud, and Hikaru gritted his teeth – fighting the shrilling sound with hands on his ears.

The intruder kicked down the lower part of its jaw, breaking it off to the ground.

The elder twin watched with widened eyes - the guy made it seem as if it was easy.

The beast crawled away; the cause by the intruder had scared it entirely, and it disappeared - retreated hastily back to the darkness.

A gun was pulled out, and the black-clothed guy shot at the direction where the beast was leaving to. A sound of crash came afterwards, and the gun was hided away again.

"_Nasty bastard…"_ the intruder hissed in annoyance.

Hikaru blinked several times with the eyes, throwing the gaze backwards and forwards between where the beast was before and the black dressed guy.

_'What the heck?'_

A sigh passed by, as the person in front of the twin turned around. Hikaru's eyes went wide open; he knew that there was something familiar about the guy.

"_Why, hello__ there, Hitachiin Hikaru."_ the killer greeted in amusement, the eyes drilling on Hikaru's – the elder twin shivered, how he disliked those narrowed eyes of that mask.

_Why was he here?_

_Why did he even come?_

Hikaru lifted himself up, moved up from the floor. The killer kept the look at him, while Hikaru clapped the dust off his school uniform.

What now? Should Hikaru say thanks to that guy, because he rescued him from the monster? Was his intention really to save him? No, that couldn't be, why would a killer like him even save people? He killed them - that's his job, right?

"W-what was that before?" the redhead stuttered out, not really referring to anyone.

"'_Alma Glotón'…__"_ came a reply from the black-clothed.

_"They're greedily disgusting when it comes to souls."_

"Alma- what?"

"'_Souls'… It's Spanish."_

Hikaru blinked, wondering why the atmosphere seemed to be a bit better than before.

Was it because he met someone familiar?

"Ehm… I didn't expect to see you again." He mumbled out, scratching the back of his neck casually.

"_I__ didn't expect you to."_ the black-clothed replied back, his glove-covered hands tugged back into his pockets.

_"You properly want to know why the school seems to be darker?"_

Hikaru turned the head up, blinking for a moment - He didn't know what to say or respond with. It ended with a hesitated nod.

That made the killer to smirk behind the mask, _"Its simple… you're not in the livings' world."_

"What?" the redhead said, not the livings' world?

_What the heck does that mean?!_

"What do you mean by that? Are you telling me that this is not the real world but the death's then?" - _'Am I already dead then?'_

"_Both of the worlds are real, but it's not the death's either."_ The black-clothed stated firmly, _"It's Intervalo, a world between life and death. Time doesn't exist here - right now, your soul has been pulled out into this world."_

Hikaru didn't know if he should be serious about this, or that he should laugh out his guts.

He couldn't believe this! His soul? It had been pulled into this place?

How could that be!?

"You're kidding, right?" he stuttered out, his hands starting to tremble. "I'm just my own soul, and got here to get eaten by a glutton? Does that mean I'm not inside my body? If not, where is it then? What kind of sick joke is this?!" he yelled in frustration, clenched his palms into fists.

The killer watched, a sigh came out silently;

_"Your body is still in the livings' world, lifeless because you're not with it."_

It couldn't be… but all those things that happened to Hikaru, how could he ignore those!? He couldn't deny them!

"_But you know, Hikaru…"_ the black-clothed said, turning around.

His back faced the elder twin of the Hitachiins; he rose up his hand towards his neck, scratching it a bit.

The head turned over his shoulder, half of his mask faced the red-haired.

_"It's properly best if you get back now. Even though this place doesn't have time here, that doesn't count for yours, does it?"_

"Nani?" the twin narrowed his eyes, grimacing a face.

Well, he did want to go back to his own world, but there a problem about that.

"How do you expect me to get back? I don't even know how I came here."

"_I don't expect anything from you, but you will get back."_ The killer chuckled, and then turned himself fully towards Hikaru; _"Besides, your brother might be worried about you, try to explain yourself to him."_

Kaoru? Worried? Hikaru watched towards the side, but he's always worried about him, and so is he to the younger twin.

"He wouldn't believe if I told him, he'll think that I'm crazy."

"_Humans nowadays… why are you all so difficult?"_ the person in front of him stated out, shaking his head slightly.

_"Guess that I'll send you back, but this time… I'll keep an eye on you."_

Hikaru raised his eyebrow, "How will you do that?"

* * *

"Kaoru, calm down!"

"Hikaru, say something! Hikaru!" the younger one of the twins yelled, refused to listen to the others inside this classroom.

He repeated on with the yells and the shakes he was giving his brother, his hands grasping tightly on numb shoulders.

"WAKE UP HIKARU!" Kaoru shouted in annoyance, his hand slapped on the elder twin's face, which caused Hikaru to shot his eyes open, and feel the burning ache on his cheek.

"Ooow! Kaoru, that hurts!" the elder of them shouted back with the same irritation, his hand already on the red-glowing cheek.

The younger brother glared down at him for a moment, causing the other Hitachiin to gulp a bit.

Kaoru grasped after him, held him tightly into an embrace.

He mumbled in a very low voice, which Hikaru could only hear; "Don't make such a big deal because you're tired, idiot."

Hikaru hugged back, "Well, sorry about that, but I don't see why I should get hit on the face."

He seriously didn't know why, but he sort of thought that he deserved it - in some kind of weird way.

He didn't thought about too long, because he noticed the rest of the class was staring at him and Kaoru. Hikaru could see that the guys had been worried, but it ended with shakes on the head. They must think it was an act or something. The girls though… Well, of course they would think it was an act, just look at their faces and then you'll know what they were thinking.

"You're alright, Hikaru?" Haruhi appeared beside the twins, her brow knitted together and her eyes deep in worry.

"Not really," Hikaru responded to her, "the slap still hurts, you know."

The commoner sweat-dropped - she sighed deeply; "At least things are put back to normal, I guess."

"Eh… What's going on?" a voice asked in puzzlement, and the entire among of students and teachers turned their looks at the door.

Valor blinked with his eyes a bit, while he stood by the doorframe with his rucksack hanging on one of his shoulders.

"Valor-kun!" some of the girls stated out, glad to see him at school again – they only see him at school, to be correctly.

"Ah, you're back." Haruhi stood up again, smiling to the teen.

The black-head smiled as well, then grinning a bit. "Well of course, Haruhi."

_'Not him again…'_ Hikaru rolled his eyes, as he and his brother rose up from the floor.

Valor placed his rucksack on his table, while he talked further with the commoner girl; "It would be weird if I didn't show up, right? Beside, I wouldn't let Kaoru alone with his furious brother, now would I?"

The girls screamed out loud, their face red and signs of 'Moe' filled the entire classroom, shoving the rest of the people to the sidelines.

Hikaru twitched his face, getting annoyed by that blasted creep – the black-haired teen grinned cheekily, properly amused by the elder twin's reaction.

"Oh, by the way Kaoru," Valor turned the eyes at the younger twin; the words caused Kaoru to look at the black-head as well.

"I've been thinking about what you said before, and I think that I'll try it out."

"Oh, really?" the redhead blinked a bit.

Hikaru widened his eyes – no, don't tell him that-!

Valor nodded, grinning with a tooth-smile. "Yup, I'll start as a host today."

...

'_SERIOUSLY!?'_

* * *

Yes… it's done! But now I have to start writing the next chapter…

Darn it…

Sigh oh well, it seems that I've gotten lazy, or maybe I'm just tired.

I'll check up the chapter later, right now - I'm going to bed.

- Kunisaki


	13. I can't take it!

Chapter XII – I can't take it!

_The girls screamed out loud, their face red and signs of 'Moe' filled the entire classroom, shoving the rest of the people to the sidelines._

_Hikaru twitched his face, getting annoyed by that blasted creep – the black-haired teen grinned cheekily, properly amused by the elder twin's reaction._

"_Oh, by the way Kaoru," Valor turned the eyes at the younger twin; the words caused Kaoru to look at the black-head as well. "I've been thinking about what you said before, and I think that I'll try it out."_

"_Oh, really?" the redhead blinked a bit._

_Hikaru widened his eyes – no, don't tell him that-!_

_Valor nodded, grinning with a tooth-smile. "Yup, I start as a host today."_

'_SERIOUSLY!?'_

* * *

"Do it again!" the girls exclaimed, and Valor nodded with a smile on his features.

"If you say so, Ladies." He grinned brightly at them, while doing his trick with the cards and the dices. The females clapped with their hands, shouting for more tricks.

Tamaki had to admit that he was quite good at it, the black-head made it seem so easy.

"How did you learn to play with the cards like that?" a female student asked curiously – Valor smiled to the girl.

"Practice."

All the females went _'Eeeehhh?! Really?!'_

Apparently, the newbie had become quite an attraction in the host club, and it seemed that more customers came to see him doing his performance.

It looked like the club got a lot of profits today, which Kyouya was rather pleased with.

"Would someone stop him?!" Hikaru yelled in irritation, glaring at the large group of surrounding girls nearby. "He's taking all our customers!"

"Take it easy, Hikaru. It's not like the amount of customers is decreasing." Haruhi said with a sigh, not really caring if the girls picked Valor instead of her.

Actually, it was sort of relaxing.

Now she could read that book she borrowed from the library, and finish with it before the club ended.

"I have to agree with Haruhi. The profits are actually increasing more than I expected." Kyouya stated simply, while writing down some notes and calculations.

The host president sweat-dropped, watching his best friend with a grimace that said:

_'And here I thought you would set up a trap for Kunisaki. Now you practically like for what he's doing.'_

"I don't see why I shouldn't be glad about the advantage for the club." Kyouya simply responded with his eyes focussed on the writing – the blond wondered how the black-haired could read minds so easily.

Hikaru ran for Tamaki, grabbing the president on the shoulder. "Milord, we can't have him here! He's getting more popular, and we're already losing more of our designators after these passed days!"

Tamaki raised his hand towards his chin, knitting his eyebrows unsurely.

"But... He's doing a good job with the cards and dices..." he pointed at the flying cards that jumped from hand to hand.

Hikaru twitched his face, gritting his teeth hardly.

"Traitors!" he snapped at the host members, shoving Tamaki aside and walked towards the door.

_Stupid Milord, stupid profits, stupid host club!_

He slammed the door right behind him, leaving the entire host members in silence, despite for the too excited females inside the third music room.

"Ne, Kao-chan... Have you talked with Hika-chan yet?" Mitsukuni asked the younger twin with a sad frown, tightening the grasp on his bunny.

Kaoru sighed a bit, shaking his head slightly. "He won't listen, when he's angry."

He smiled tiredly to the part-time teacher, "Let's just wait until he cools off, okay?"

The smaller blond nodded slowly, as Takashi took him over to a table with five different cakes on a silver plate. Mitsukuni started to munch the cakes down, and the rest of the host club – except for Mori and Hani – turned towards the redhead.

"Kaoru, we can't have your brother skipping the club time, and just decide on walking home earlier." Kyouya was serious about it - he always was.

The younger twin responded with a small nod. "I'll go talk to him." He reassured them all.

"You've already said that."

"Believe me, I will do it."

The black-haired sighed, closing his notebook.

"Then there's nothing more to say. The rest of us will continue on with our hosting until then."

Haruhi knitted her eyebrows, looking towards the red-haired teen. "Did you even get any sleep last night?"

The redhead shrugged, "It's nothing serious, Haruhi. I'm just a bit tired."

"Nothing serious? Kaoru, you felt asleep the entire time we had classes, are you really sure? And does Hikaru know? He seemed more pissed than last time..."

"It's because I was reading some stuffs late at night... The books were dragging my interest, so I kind of forgot the time." he reassured the commoner, chuckling a bit. "Hikaru's just a bit pissed because I didn't sleep with him last night."

But the reply did only cause her to frown at him. "What were you thinking? You know that it's not healthy to stay up so late, even for reading books."

He sighed tiredly, his hand scratching the side of his head. "Yeah, I know... I just needed to know something."

Haruhi narrowed her eyes, "And for what reason then? Was it really important to let yourself become a zombie?"

"You say a lot of funny things, Haruhi." Kaoru stared back at her, eyes lidded and the corner of his mouth moving upwards. "Well, at least I got some information, which I sort of needed. I better go and fetch Hikaru back before he destroys something he shouldn't."

The Hitachiin stood up from his chair, thinking that Hikaru couldn't have gone that far-off anyway. A hand stopped him though, when he felt something grabbing after his shoulder, and caused him to turn around and face the commoner host. "I'll go and get him. Besides, you look awfully tired to even take a short walk."

Kaoru smiled to her, thanking with a slow nod. "Thanks, Haruhi."

The female host smiled back, replying with a _'You're welcome'_ and then left the room.

Truth was that Kaoru had been worried about Hikaru lately. His reason to why he stayed up so late? Yup, it was because of that. Since his twin didn't want to tell him what he was hiding away, Kaoru decided to make a research by himself. He started to read a lot of books... _Hikaru even fainted for the second time, and it wasn't like he didn't eat enough. He was healthy! Completely fine! But why did his twin become so weak in a split second, and then totally fine afterwards? It didn't make any sense!_ Urgh... his head was hurting.

The Hitachiin was losing the balance in his legs, and he suddenly fell backwards on the floor hardly – almost passing out because of the headache he got early in the morning. The next thing he heard was a voice shouting after his name.

"A chair - quickly!" Tamaki demanded, and Takashi was shoving a chair straight away towards the twin.

The person who called his name came next to Kaoru, helping him up to let him take a seat on the chair.

"Are you okay, Kaoru?" the person asked worriedly, while the redhead just sat lifelessly on the chair, his face directed to the ceiling above.

"I'm so tired... can I go home now?" Kaoru mumbled out tiresomely, he didn't seem to be well at all.

Tamaki ran his palm through the blond locks, sighing in aggravation. "Where's Hikaru when someone needs him?"

While the hosts - or those who were inside the music room, and not calculating on a notebook – were concerned of Kaoru's current state, Valor held the twin on the chair. Or else the red-haired would just fall off and meet the floor again. "Sorry..." the black-haired apologized to the host members; they looked at him in a bit of puzzlement. "It's my fault of causing problems to Hikaru and Kaoru."

"Why, Valval-chan?" Mitsukuni asked with a frown, seeing the sad smile Valor was wearing.

Valor tried to smile a bit brighter, "Ah, don't worry. I'll make it better... Wait, you know what? I'll get some fresh water to Kaoru!"

Before Tamaki could even say anything to the black-haired teen, Valor was already out of the room with his feet running surprisingly fast. The blond head sighed, "Nobody listens to me..." his hand against an invisible wall, and his head was hanging downcast in gloom.

"What could Valval-chan have done to Hika-chan?" the small blond head asked his cousin in a sad frown.

"I don't know, Mitsukuni. Hikaru could be irritated of his personality." The stoic male responded, as Mitsukuni gave him a bit of a puzzled expression.

"Hika-chan doesn't like the way Valval-chan acts?"

The two of them turned the eyes at the younger Hitachiin; Kaoru had apparently fallen asleep, sitting limply on the comfortable chair.

"Ne, Takashi..." the small teacher said quietly, squeezing his usa-chan. "What if Kao-chan has something to do with it?"

Takashi was silent for a moment. "Probably... Valor-kun seems to be interested in Kaoru."

Mitsukuni knitted his eyebrows, and then turned the look up to his cousin.

"But then... what is Hika-chan to him?"

* * *

His mind was filled with frustration and pure bewilderment.

He was frustrated by the classmate that he freaking disliked, and confused due to the turn-ups with the black-clothed killer.

And what about the place between life and death? What was the name again? Inter-... interval-...? Whatever! Hikaru wanted to know who that killer was. Maybe he was a shinigami. It was possible to be true. But... did reapers even exist?

"Hee... it could be funny if Kunisaki was the reaper..." the redhead muttered with a strange grin, "Yeah, as if!" – Not so funny after all...

"Hikaru!" the brown-haired hostess called after the elder brother, trying to catch him up.

The redhead groaned aggravatingly, pacing hardly on the floor.

"'_Hikaru, Hikaru...'_ They're always crying out after me!" he hissed under his breath, while pretending that he didn't hear the commoner. "When I don't want their attention, this happens!"

"Hikaru, wait!" Haruhi's hand made up to his shoulder, finally stopping the Hitachiin from going any further. "You've made us all concerned, what is wron-...?"

"It's my fault, so what?" Hikaru rudely interrupted, his back still facing the only female host. "I'm a jerk to everyone lately, was that what you wanted to tell me?"

Haruhi watched him for a second, her hand letting go of his shoulder.

"Hikaru..." she spoke quietly, her brown eyes looking after leads on the twin's expression.

"Do you really want to keep whatever it is inside of you? Are you afraid of something?"

Hikaru kept himself quiet for a moment, then sighing heavily. "No, sorry, I don't want to..." he answered in defeat, turning around to look at Haruhi. "Its just-..." he watched down to his feet, his palms tightening; "I don't what's going on lately, and I can't really put it into words."

"What do you mean?"

"Things has turned upside down for me, I'm just confused."

Though, it didn't give any clues to the cross-dresser, she understood him. Hikaru didn't look too well either. He had been acting a bit strange, she must admit.

"What about telling Kaoru? Have you considered about his reactions to this?"

"Of course I have!" Hikaru almost shouted at the female with frustration by the earlier day, while keeping the eyes firmly on at the floor.

"I saw his reaction on that day at the cafeteria, so why wouldn't I?"

"Then why not tell him?"

"I can't!"

Haruhi knitted her brows, finding the redhead's respond unusual. "What do you mean by 'can't'? You're suddenly keeping secrets from each other?" she asked with a sort of worried tone, while the twin stood in utter silence.

He watched up at her, his face frowning. "I don't want to concern him with it."

The commoner girl sighed deeply, finally getting. "You thought he wouldn't be worried about you, if you didn't tell him...? Hikaru, you know that-.."

"Yes, I know that he doesn't like secrets, especially when I'm the one keeping them!" The redhead putted his face into his hands, his back leaning against the wall. "What should I do? I can't make myself to tell him, it'll just cause him to get even more concerned!"

"Take it easy, Hikaru." Haruhi putted her palm on his shoulder, her face showing the uneasiness she felt.

It was not the best thing to watch the elder twin in this state, and it was really unusual to see a sad frown instead of a bright grin plastered on his face.

"Maybe if you told it to me, I could try my best to help you." She really wanted to help him, to help her friend in need.

The redhead nodded slowly - he smiled a bit, when he turned the head up.

"Maybe when I feel a bit better, I could tell you. It's just... not the best moment to take a chat."

"I understand." She smiled back, "Let's head back to the club; Kaoru's probably wondering where you are."

Hikaru grinned at the thought of his twin, "Yeah, he would definitely."

Just thinking his brother's face with concern made him feel bad; he wanted to apologize to him. It's just... what should he say sorry for?

Haruhi shook him a bit, causing him to turn back from his thoughts.

"Hey... It'll be fine, okay?"

He nodded to her, thanking her for being there. "Thanks, Haruhi."

She smiled, "No problem."

As they turned back to the third music room and opened the door, their eyes caught the sight a crowd in the middle of the room. Almost at once, Hikaru guessed that it was just Kunisaki making his tricks. He made a grimace by the thought, _'what a show-stealer.'_

The two second-high-school'ers came up to the crowd of females with the rest of the host members, except for...

Kaoru?

"Hey, where's Kaoru?" Hikaru asked worriedly, and the entire female students turned the look at him.

That caused him to jerk a bit away, sweat-dropping by their gazes.

_'Eh... Did I say something wrong?_' he wondered in confusion.

"Hikaru?" A familiar voice called, and the elder twin pushed the girls to the side gently.

His brother was the one in the middle, when he actually thought it was Kunisaki. "Hikaru, where have you been?" Kaoru asked with a raised eyebrow, his face looking tiredly. The girls gazed at the elder twin with stiffed eyes, as if he had done something wrong. Hikaru watched them blankly, and then shaking his head rapidly. He turned towards his brother instead.

"Oh, I'm sorry Kaoru! I didn't mean to leave you all by yourself!" Hikaru launched himself towards his twin, his arms wrapping around his sleepy twin.

Kaoru blinked for a quick second, and then hugged his older brother in return.

Immediately, the girls went 'aaaaww...' by the sight of the act playing out – the older brother mentally breathed out of relief.

"I didn't have any idea of where you disappeared to..." the younger twin mumbled out, but clear enough for the costumers to hear. "You weren't there, and I was..." He fake-blushed to show the non-existing embarrassment he felt, "I was lonely..."

Hikaru placed his palms on Kaoru's cheeks, stoking them a bit. Their faces moved closer - "Don't worry, I won't do it again." He reassured with a soft smile, his voice filled with caring.

"I would never leave you..."

Kaoru blinked once or twice at him. He placed his forehead against Hikaru's chest, while the elder of them embraced him. "Hikaru..." he whispered tiredly.

He just wanted to go home already.

The girls just thought it was a part of the play, so they screamed the usual word -

"MOOOEEE!!" - exactly...

"Your reason for drawing attention from the girls, please?" Hikaru asked his brother, while he mentally plugged his ears by the loud screaming.

Kaoru moved himself off, yawning loudly with his hand in front of his mouth. "I was asleep. So, how would I know they would be all around me?"

Hikaru shrugged on his shoulder, "Just wondering." He stated simply. _Then why were the girls suddenly mad at him?_

"Hikaru, may I ask you something?" Kaoru watched with half-lifted eyes at his brother, but only because of the lack of sleep.

"Sure, go on."

"By any chances, did you just get more seriou-...?"

"W-what the heck was that?" a voice came in between, and the twins turned their heads towards the entrance of the music room. At first, they saw these widen amber eyes on the guy. His jaw was dropped, and his entire being was pale in disbelieve. Valor stared in shock, his face twitching nervously.

"Valor-kun, are you okay?" a costumer asked the ghost-looking teen.

"..." the black head couldn't say a single word.

The glass of water he bought with him was placed down on the nearest table.

He was shaking his whole body, when he putted the glass away from his hand.

Haruhi blinked in worry, _'Was he fine?'_ She putted her hand on his shoulder. "What's wron-...?"

Suddenly, the teen snorted. He was bursting out in laughter with tears streaming out. The brown-haired stared dumbfounded at him, while Valor fell on his knees with his hands grasping after the stomach. He laughed without control, his palm slamming hard against the floor.

"N-NANI!? WHAT IN THE WORLD ARE YOU TWO DOING!?" he managed to say to the twins.

"HAHA!! JUST WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU GUYS!? WHO'S THE GENIUS OF THIS IDEA!? IS IT THE PRESIDENT?!"

"..." - The two redheads blinked on the same time, exchanging glances with each other.

"INCEST?! THAT'S YOUR ACT!? BRILLANT! HAHA!! WHAT A BRILLANT IDEA!!"

Hikaru narrowed his eyes, twitching in annoyance.

_How __**dare**__ that creep to make fun of their act._

-SLAP!-

"Argh! It's hot!" the elder of the twins shouted, quickly pulling the burning towel away from his face.

Kaoru stared dumbfounded at his brother, then at the direction where the towel came from.

"I dare a lot of things, Hikaru." Valor stated with a satisfied smirk.

Hikaru widened his eyes. _How did he-...?!_

He gritted his teeth, "You-!" and his hand threw the towel right back at the teen. The black-haired ducked his head down, right at the moment when Tamaki came across. The blond head got slapped on the face by the cloth, causing him to scream at the burning heat.

There was a pause between the people in the room, while Tamaki's screaming almost filled the entire place.

"Eh..." Hikaru blinked with a blank face, while Valor watched at the president with a sweat-drop. The two stared with widen eyes at Tamaki, as he still was fighting to get the towel off. Then the redhead and the smaller teen snorted on the same time; they began to burst out in laughter with tears running off their eyes. When the blond finally got the towel off, his face was immediately splashed by the cold water from the glass Valor bought with him.

The president was furious; "W-what was that for?!" Tamaki shouted at the elder twin and the black-haired teen.

"I wanted to pay Kunisaki back for what he did." Hikaru stated, while shrugging on his shoulder – he tried to keep the laughter down, as his mouth twitched upwards.

"You needed the water more than anyone in here." Valor answered simply, but his huge grin was not helping him, it failed in the process of hiding his amusement.

Tamaki stared blankly at the two teens; he wasn't the only one, who was surprised by the way they acted, but almost the entire members of the host club.

"Did... did you just-...?" the Blond-haired blinked once or twice at them, the others watched with blank faces.

"You guys resemble each other too much." The host members stated to the redhead and the black-haired, causing the teens to throw their widen eyes at them in disbelieve.

The state was such an offence for Hikaru, while Valor was... grinning?

"I do not!" they yelled in unison; veins popped up on Hikaru's forehead. "He's nothing like me! Don't compare me with such a freak! We're totally and completely different!"the elder twin glared at the other deathly, while Valor was widening his grin.

One being irritated, the other being amused - they shouted right in front of one another. "STOP COPYING ME ALREADY!! I SAID STOP IT!!"

"Not again..." Kaoru sighed deeply, rubbing the tears off from his tired eyes.

The people around were gasping by amazement. Their hands clapped.

"How perfectly synchronized they are!" one girl exclaimed brightly, and the rest nodded in agreement.

"Really..." Haruhi twitched the corner of her mouth, _'I knew the twins can talk in unison perfectly, but Valor...?'_

"WHAT'S WITH YOUR FREAKING SMILE, ANYWAY!?" Hikaru shouted, getting more pissed than before.

"SPEAK FOR YOURSELF! AS IF YOU DON'T SMILE IN THE SAME WAY!" Valor half-shouted, half-laughed.

"HEY! DON'T COMPARE US!"

"OH, WITH PLEASURE! I WOULD RATHER NOT BE COMPARED WITH SUCH AN IDIOT!"

"WELL SAID! YOU WANNA FIGHT!?"

"I'D LOVE TO!"

"THEN BRING IT ON!"

"Cut it out, you guys!" the president yelled, "I will not tolerate violence in the host cl-...!"

"SHUT UP, MILORD/TAMAKI!"

- And the president was sent to his corner of woe.

"Aaannnooo! Cut it out, you two!" Haruhi tried to push them away from one another, holding the older brother with her arms. Hikaru was still death-glaring with his narrowed eyes, and his hands were trying to wrench the other teen's neck.

The commoner got irritated as well. "Sempai! Help me with those two!"

"Eh?" Tamaki watched up with his blinking eyes. "Oh! Sure, Haruhi!" He quickly rushed towards the struggling teen, the laughing black head and his adorable 'daughter'.

The rest of the club helped as well – except for Kyouya, who was scribbling the current information about their new host member.

Valor pressed the laughter back with his palm, while the elder brother shouted _'Let me kill that bastard' _rapidly.

"I need some fresh air to clear my mind. I'll be right back." the black-head turned away and walked towards the exit.

Even though the door got closed, the hosts could still hear him laughing loudly into the halls.

"Can he get even weirder?" Kaoru asked with a raised eyebrow. He and Haruhi glanced at one another, nodding with their heads.

- _Time to make the odd boy speak out._

"I'll get him back." The commoner girl responded, moving out of the room immediately.

"Hikaru, why don't we go and sit down on our couch?" the younger smiled, as he dragged his annoyed twin away from chasing after Kunisaki. Kaoru guessed that Hikaru really wanted to murder something, at least in that state he was in.

"You were annoyed too." Hikaru mumbled out – Kaoru shrugged his shoulder a bit.

"Ah, that's right... it's also true that I'm the more rational one."

* * *

"Where did he go?" the cross-dresser wondered, as she turned the head from side to side.

She searched at the halls, as her knitted her brows together. "He couldn't have gone too far-..."

Haruhi stopped up, finally seeing the black-haired classmate a bit far-off.

He was laying his forehead against the wall, probably still laughing or at least trying to calm down himself.

She came up the teen, putting her palm on his shoulder. Valor turned the look at her, his eyes blinking by surprise.

"H-Haruhi! I didn't notice you were there!" he chuckled a bit, wiping the teardrops off with his hand.

The brown-haired watched his action. She looked up to him, her eyes with determination.

"Valor, I have something to-...H-hey!!"

She widened her eyes and couldn't finish the sentence, as the boy had wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "Wait! What are you-...?"

The teen didn't answer the question, but Haruhi didn't end it either way. The black-haired had his head laid on her left shoulder, trembling a bit.

Haruhi noticed something odd about him, like... it was like...

"S-sorry about that. I-..." He talked as if he was about burst of in laughter again. "I didn't mean to startle you." Wait, he wasn't laughing...

He was _sobbing._

He was actually _crying._

Haruhi stood still on the place, while Valor held her tightly, not seeming to let go her by any minute. But why was he suddenly crying? Haruhi thought back at the music room, when Valor was laughing his guts out.

He seemed fine at that moment... _her mind clicked._

She tried to look at him, but his face was covered by her shoulder. Haruhi's expression turned into a sad one.

_The way he acted in the club._

_The way his laughter sounded so bright and full of amusement._

_The smile that the twins grinned was plastered on his face. He sort of looked like them._

_But... -_

- Was... was he pretending it all?

* * *

_"You've been quiet for a while. Why don't you pay him a visit?"_

Said person shrugged the shoulder indifferently, _"Probably... I bet he's gotten himself into something illegal."_

_"Ah... but that's just how he is. Doing illegal stuffs that is."_

A sigh passed, the person stood up. _"Anyways, I'm heading back to the court."_

_"Eeeehh...?"_ a smirk appeared. _"Out to clean up something? Or perhaps... kill one of the livings?"_

Silence.

_"You wished... the word 'kill' is like music in your ears, right?"_

_"Well, I can't deny that."_ The grin widened. _"What do you think he's trying to get?"_

_"Something important... or someone for that matter."_

_"Heehee... Sounds interesting..."_

Steps countered the ground.

_"Be careful, that's my advice. You could get into trouble like __him."_

_"Oh, I wouldn't be reckless as him. I'm not that daring to go against the court."_

_"Daring? Probably... he's still immature to play around with his small games."_

A chuckle. A malicious laughter. _"I kind of like that brat's style..."_

* * *

Well... there's not really anything to say, other than 'see you next time'.

I wonder what people think about this story... mind telling me?

:3

_- Kunisaki_


	14. Folding Out

**Chapter XIV – Folding out**

_Haruhi stood still on the place, while Valor held her tightly, not seeming to let go her by any minute. But why was he suddenly crying? Haruhi thought back at the music room, when Valor was laughing his guts out._

_He seemed fine at that moment... her mind clicked._

_She tried to look at him, but his face covered by her shoulder. Haruhi's expression turned into a sad one._

_The way he acted in the club._

_The way his laughter sounded so bright and full of amusement._

_The smile that the twins grinned was plastered on his face. He sort of looked like them._

_But... -_

_- Was... was he pretending it all?_

* * *

"Is the plan set?"

_"Yes. We're ready to capture him."_

A smirk - "Alright then."

The phone hung.

_"What are you planning to do?"_

"Hnn...? Oh!" – Laughing – "It was just a phone call."

_"You're setting a trap for Damián, am I correct?"_

"What are you talking about? I'm just following the order."

_"..."_

"Look, this has been going on ever since the kid had laid his eyes on that human, ne?"

_"So, it's an order from the court?"_

"Precisely."

-sighing- _"How long do you plan to stay in that form?"_

"Until I get my hands on that brother. He's kinda prettier than the other one. Damian goes after the reckless one, but I can't let him succeed."

_"Therefore the plan?"_

A dangerous grin. - "None other, of course. That brat has been a pest for all those years, after I took something precious from him."

_"Since it's the court's order, everyone's on charge of capturing him?"_

"So it means to you as well."

...

_"Somehow, you sincerely disgust me."_

"I'm delighted to hear that."

* * *

**-The abandoned grounds of the Muertes - **

"_You've gotten quite interested in that kid."_

The killer glanced up from the broken ground, tch-ing when he saw who the intruder was that dared to get near him.

He stood up on his feet, thrusting his palms into the pockets of his black coat.

"_In a bad mood, I see..."_ The intruder stopped his tracking, watching the killer in a dully expression. And then; _"Ah, I see... So the kid is 'that one'."_

"_Come to give a lecture, aren't we now? I'm afraid you're wasting your time."_ The black-clothed passed the other, coldly glaring at him with lidded-eyes. _"Don't you have anything else to take care of, Raul?"_

The other yawned out tiredly, _"Indeed I do... therefore I've come to pay you a visit, kiddo."_

"_You're hired to babysit me?"_ The killer sneered, turning around to face Raul. _"Another one of your 'orders' from the court? They must have finally decided to turn me into dust."_

Raul's lidded eyes watched indifferently, answering in a dull tone. _"Take it more as a nice nap. That would prevent you from playing these small games of yours."_

"_Tch... You're always boring to play with anyway... Guess I'll be going- __**then!**__" _a huge sharp object hit the ground, causing the killer to jump off and land on his hands.

"_Ooi... that was awfully rude."_ He sneered behind his mask, while doing a handstand.

Raul glanced up from the ground emotionlessly, his eyes watching unaffectedly at him.

He pulled out the huge scythe up from the gray dusty ground, clapped on it to get the dust off.

"_I wouldn't have needed to use a sudden attack, if you haven't been such a monkey."_

"_Whatever you say..."_ The killer replied in a bored tone.

He jumped again, as the next swing came.

The scythe ran sharply into the air, and a sharp-light cut departed from the death-tool and headed its direction towards him.

The black-clothed though was quick on his feet, as he avoided every swing that came to him.

He landed on his feet again, hiding behind one of the dusty mountains.

The killer hissed, his mask covering the irritated expression. _"Seems like playtime's over, and I haven't even told 'him' everything yet."_

"_Why don't you pull out that gun and defend yourself?"_ a dull-sounding question came suddenly before him.

Another swing and the killer proceeded the avoiding of getting chop into pieces.

Raul stared at the sprinting being jump from side to side, as his scythe collided to the ground, attempting to destroy the dusty mountain that the killer was on.

"_Shimatta!"_ the black one hissed, as the mountain crumbled and caused him to fall. He crashed onto the ground, followed with the new rocks.

Dust covered up the ground up, while Raul watched expressionlessly at the falling rocks.

"_Yare, yare..."_ he breathed out in disappointment, the scythe's foot stepped on the ground.

_"I don't have the comprehension to why you won't use the tool, when you've been having it on you since became one of us."_

There were now only small stones that fell down on the heap of cliffs.

"_So... are you finally deciding to pull on that trigger?"_ his head turned around, facing the gun right in front of his face.

The killer pointed at the other one, holding the gun firmly in his grasp.

"_Wrong. There's a difference between you guys and I."_

Raul sighed a bit, his eyes ever looking so tired.

_"Because you love to gamble more than us?"_

"_No, wrong answer."_

He could feel how the gun was pushed on his forehead.

"_You serve your masters like dogs, while I don't."_

"_Explains why you're lawless... you could have gotten a great position in the court."_

* * *

"What am I doing...?" Hikaru grimaced a face, as he tapped on the keys. "Stealing is bad and still, snatching Kyouya-sempai's laptop like that-..." the teen shivered, once he thought about the consequences for taking the raven-haired's belongings, especially his precious laptop full of important information.

But... that must be why he took the laptop in the first place. He needed some information, really **important** information. "I'll deal with Kyouya-sempai later..." The raven-haired senior had of course the... the right to give a sort of punishment to Hikaru. The redhead was after all the one, who stole the laptop. Hikaru managed to imagine that creepy thing Kyouya did with his glasses, before his slapped himself mentally and got back to work. However, 'managed' was not the right word to use, the teen noted to himself.

"Kaoru would have enjoyed this. He loves this kind of stuff." The teen shook his head, trying to hold on the concentration. This was not the right time to be thinking about his brother, or what amused Kaoru the most as their games.

Was it even the best chose to stay in the third music room?

Hikaru didn't really think about that, but since there wasn't anyone inside here, it was probably fine.

His fingertips tapped on the keys, as he wrote down a certain name of a certain creep, who he just hated the most. "Perhaps, I can use something against him..." once the profile came on the screen, the redhead blinked at the non-existing words in the profile of Kunisaki.

"What the-...?" Hikaru narrowed his eyes, his face twitching. "NO WAY!" the redhead shouted at the laptop, his face pressed onto the screen. His palm grabbed after the laptop, while shaking it 100 times. "Did he delete the information!? Then-! Did he get before me?!"

"!" Hikaru stopped abruptly; he placed down the laptop carefully, as he sweat-dropped at himself. It'd get worse if he destroyed the machine, and he would have to pay an unbelievable price from its owner.

Suddenly the club room seemed to be turning darker, as Hikaru threw the eyes up – turning the head from side to side.

"Urgh...!" his palm clenched onto his blue jacket. He gritted the teeth, as he tried to stand the ache in his stomach. "Freaking stomach-ache..." he hissed lowly, running the hand down at his face.

"Eh...?" the Hitachiin stared at the screen again, his eyes blinking confused.

"What is that?" he narrowed his eyes to make the words clear.

"I thought there wasn't anything on...?" the words were there, they were there... but why were they shining blue lights?

Hikaru stared and stared; those didn't even look like words, what were all those weird signs?

"I... I have seen them before, but where?" his mind flashed back to a golden object, swinging right before his face. And there was that ticking noise...

'_What the heck's going on?'_

-SLAM!-

"!" Hikaru turned around, facing the black-haired teen that stood with his hand firmly on the door. The teen watched the redhead emotionlessly, while his other hand tucked into his pocket. The black-head lifted up the head, smiling at the elder twin; "Hello, Hitachiin Hikaru."

"What do you want?" Hikaru asked indifferently at the guy he less wanted to meet. Valor shook his head slightly, the smile turning into a smirk. "Talk." The black-haired responded shortly, walking up towards the other side of the desk, which the laptop was on. For some reason, Hikaru took a step backwards, being on guard. Somehow the teen before him was... different.

"Hnn...?" Valor grinned dangerously, putting his hand on his chin. His eyes skimmed over the profile, as the grin's corner came up towards his cheek. He glanced at Hikaru, somewhat giving the red-haired the chills. "So... you can **see** them?"

Hikaru widened his eyes. What? See what? The redhead glanced at the blue glowing signs, and then at Valor.

"Of course you can. It would be troublesome if you couldn't." The Kunisaki replied in a bored tone, his lidded amber eyes staring up at the ceiling. He putted his hand on his neck, walking around while kicking the sudden dusty ground. Hikaru threw the look down; the floor was indeed dusty, but it wasn't before, when Valor hadn't appeared. The black-head sighed slightly with his eyes closed, the cross that hung on his ear shined by the chandelier above them.

Hikaru felt suddenly an uncomfortable feeling within him, his stomach aching worse than before.

He held onto where it ached, his expression revealed the pain he felt.

The black-haired stopped his tracking, thrusting his palm inside the pockets of his black pants.

He watched the teen fall onto the knees, while he sighed once again, but this time deeply.

"Yahari... it happens when I get near you." He said unaffectedly, picking up today's newspaper up from another desk. Hikaru stared at him in disbelief.

"Are? Some thug died in prison?" Valor smirked at the title, his half-lifted eyes skimming over the text. "He actually died 6 days ago, but the guards found it out first yesterday. Does it sound familiar to you, Hikaru?"

Hikaru narrowed his eyes; his hands were firmly on his stomach, as he tried to stand up again. "Should I care?" he responded back; did it matter if some criminal died in prison 6 days ago?

He eyes went wide, when Valor showed the article with a photo of the criminal's face. _'6 days ago.'_ Hikaru stared at the picture with a shocked expression – the face... he had seen it before. "I... I thought it was a dream." He whispered out bewildered.

The black-head threw the newspaper towards the side, as it fell into a trash can a bit far-off. "Nope, He's dead. And they'll probably burn his dead body into ashes, like it would matter to me." Was this guy really Kunisaki?

"Who are you?" Hikaru commanded an answer, his gaze following the walking teen.

"That's awful, Hikaru." Valor faked a sad frown. How Hikaru knew it was fake surprised the redhead quite unsettling. "I'm just Haruhi's and your brother's friend. Have you forgotten so quickly?" The elder twin twitched his face; he didn't like how Valor's attempt to piss him off was working. The black-haired tried to act like his brother by making fake frowns and his voice lighter. That was enough to piss him really off.

"It's okay... I'm used to be forgotten after all."

"Shut up."

Valor chuckled a bit; the redhead couldn't see him as innocent, but like he ever did before.

"Oh, by the way..." Valor placed his hand on his chin, as he made a thoughtful expression. "I was wondering... do you know a student named Inoue Shouta from the freshman-class C? It seems like he just disappeared in this week." He sighed out, making a troubled face, as he scratched through his dark hair. "I really wanted to return his 'The complete Work of William Shakespeare', but I guess I'll just deliver it back to his family."

Hikaru widened his amber eyes. "You..."

He didn't like the way Valor suddenly sneered at him.

"Just what are you?"

The black-head shrugged on his shoulder; "Just an odd fellow in your class, I guess. Got more questions?"

* * *

"I can't really think of anyone with the surname Kunisaki, other than Valor..." Haruhi stated uneasily, tapping her chin a few times.

"Well, neither do I. He's the first one I have heard of with that surname." Kaoru added the line to the small conversation between the two host members. The girl glanced at him for a second.

"Ano... Kaoru, we better not do this." the brown-haired hostess warned her classmate, while glancing towards the door of the dark room they were in. "What if Kyouya-sempai shows up and-..."

"Eh? That's odd..."

"What's the matter?" Haruhi asked bewildered.

"Someone has turned Kyouya-sempai's Laptop on." Kaoru told her. They both of them went towards the desk.

"Maybe he left it like this?"

"I don't think so, but this a great opportunity!"

"What? Wait, hold on!" the commoner grabbed after the redhead's shoulder. "What are you doing?!"

"A code?" Kaoru blinked a bit at the screen. "This might take a bit of time..."

Haruhi let her hand slip off, sighing slightly. "I got a bad feeling about this..."

"Don't worry, Haruhi. I'll get through in no time." The redhead reassured her, tapping on the keys in an incredible speed. While Haruhi watched, it seemed impossible for Kaoru to break the code, after her point of view. However... Kaoru was actually grinning. "He-he... Kyouya does make it difficult to get through the access. As expected from him."

The two were lucky to find Kyouya's laptop without the raven-haired around. Though it was a risky attempt, Kaoru used the opportunity to get the laptop. After all, they might not get another chance like this. _'For Hikaru, just for him...'_

"Are you sure you can get through?" the girl asked in whispers.

"Yeah, there's just a bit more to go. He-he... sure brings up the memories."

'_I feel like we're doing something illegal... like criminals._' She thought to herself, while sighing heavily out. Haruhi knitted her eyes together. "Kaoru, how can you to do such stuffs, like to break codes and get access through the system?"

The younger Hitachiin turned the head up towards the hostess. "Oh, that's..." he started to chuckle a bit, while he let his palm scratch the back of his head lightly. "I and Hikaru used to do this, when we were at Middle School... But for some reason, we haven't done it since then. Maybe it's because we-..."

'_They sure are together, those two...'_ the brown-haired smiled a bit, when Kaoru turned the head back to the screen and kept talking about Hikaru and those devilish things they did two years ago. But for some reason, the conversation was kinda... off.

Haruhi watched the redhead, as something made her frown a bit.

'_He seems a bit off today...' _She thought in herself - _'I wonder what he's thinking...'_

Haruhi still kept her eyes on Kaoru's back. Her hand made up to his shoulder.

"Kaoru?" the teen responded with a 'hnn?'

"You seem a bit off... Something about Hikaru?"

"Eh?!" Kaoru turned his head around, staring at her. "What makes you think that?"

"You... your expression seems to tell me that." Haruhi sweat-dropped. "You're worried about him, that's why you feel uneasy, right?"

"Why wouldn't I be worried about him?" the redhead raised an eyebrow. "I'm his brother after all."

"You kept yourself awake that last day, just for Hikaru."

"That... That would be ridiculous!" Kaoru laughed a bit - though Haruhi could sense the nervousness around him. "Hikaru-... he-... he wouldn't like knowing that his twin was restless because of him!"

...

"Kaoru-...?"

"I'm sorry."

"Wha-?! No, No! Don't be sorry!" Haruhi waved with her hands frequently, while Kaoru started to bow down in front of her in apology. "Besides, what are you sorry about!?"

"Because, I felt like being sorry." He kept his head downcast, as Haruhi went quiet in surprise. He turned the look up; "Dakara, Haruhi... Please don't ask me about something saddening. I... I don't even know why I'm feeling like this, so I'm incapable of giving you the answers."

"That's... Kaoru, you don't have to be sad about that-"

"That's not the only thing!" he raised his voice, backed a bit off when Haruhi winced. "Gomen..."

"It's okay, I just got a bit surprised. Is this something you can't tell Hikaru?"

"I'm not sure... But I don't think I can."

...

"Hikaru did say something related to that."

"Nani?" Kaoru glanced up to the girl, his face's not so gloomy anymore. "Did Hikaru?"

"Yeah though I probably shouldn't have said that." – And it's first now she remembered.

Kaoru was silence for a moment, until a little smile appeared on his mouth.

"Haruhi, Let's break this code of Kyouya-sempai's! I feel a new energy rushing in!"

"Wait! It's impossible, Kaoru! And If we do something to Kyouya-sempai's laptop, it'll just cause nothing else than trouble!"

"No, I think I'm almost there-... YES! We're through!" Kaoru said triumphantly, grinning in success. "I'm a genius!"

Haruhi widened her eyes, as she stared at the screen in disbelief. "N-no way! You got in!? That's incredible, Kaoru. Even with Kyouya's-..."

"You're flattering me? Why Haruhi, that is so nice of you." The redhead smiled brightly at her, while the female host just rolled her eyes.

The redhead turned back to the laptop. "Anyways, now that we got through, let's check the list of our classmates." As Kaoru started tapping on the keys, the list of the 11th A-class appeared on the screen. "There... Now let's see. Ku-ni-sa-ki-..."

"!" Haruhi turned quickly around, staring at the door with widen eyes. "Did you hear that?" she asked suspiciously. She heard some noises from the door, or at least nearby the door. Kaoru got up, "Yeah, I heard that." he said seriously, picking up the laptop from the table as well. They stood quiet there for a while, but nothing than silence came to them.

-Beep beep!-

The red-haired looked down on the screen, as the laptop was done with information of their new classmate. The brown-haired girl nodded towards the laptop. "Let's see what it says." She started to say, and the red-haired teen sat it down on the desk again.

The two skimmed over the words and the numbers, until Kaoru knitted his brows with confusion. "This is not quite right..." he responded lowly. "Normally, everything should stand there."

Haruhi looked uneasy as well, "But there's nothing on..."

The Hitachiin hung with his head downwards, "All this, and just for nothing?" He sighed heavily out in disappointment. "What a waste."

"Maybe they haven't registered him on the list yet?" the commoner asked, hoping that it would because of that.

"No, I don't think so..." the redhead replied back, "They would have done that already, and they aren't the type that's slacking off with this."

It was Haruhi's turn to sigh this time. "Well, it was just a guess." She mumbled out in defeat. Then her mind clicked once again. "Wait... you searched after Kunisaki right?"

Kaoru stared blankly at the girl for a second, and then – "Well, sure I did."

"And there was only one profile that came on the screen?"

"Yeah..."

The brown-haired stood up, "Then, that means he doesn't have any siblings on this school. But if that's true, then Valor would be lying."

"Possible. For some reason, like Hikaru, I can't really trust him. Unless-..." Kaoru paused for a second, standing up from the floor. "- unless his sister is actually-..."

"A stepsister?" A voice suddenly came in between, causing the two host members to jump from the table. They both stared with widen eyes at the person by the door, their faces turning pale like ghosts. The person cleared his throat, pushing back his glasses. "May I ask you what you're planing to do with my laptop, Haruhi? Kaoru?"

"K-Kyouya-sempai..." Haruhi stuttered out nervously.

'_Shimatta...'_ Kaoru twitched his face nervously, the corner of his mouth jerking upwards to his cheek. Haruhi twitched as well by the sudden creepy atmosphere inside the room.

Kyouya sighed out, glancing sharply at the two students, who were under him. "I guess that you're disparately seeking out for information about Kunisaki, since you made it that far to peek in my belongings."

"You know something?" Kaoru asked with his head lifting up. Kyouya would know something about Valor that they didn't.

"I don't get any apologizes? Wouldn't that be rude?" The raven-haired faced them with an emotionless face, as the two other teens laughed and apologized – the two of them sounding hollow.

Kyouya walked towards them and over to his laptop. He glanced at the screen, and then looking back at the two. "And did you find what you were looking for?"

Haruhi scratched her neck a bit, "Well... sort of... no, not really." She mumbled out with her head hanging downcast.

"There's nothing on Valor's profile, except for those we already know." Kaoru said in defeat and disappointment. "I wonder if he had done this by himself..." he muttered lowly, thinking that Valor could to have deleted his info, so anyone else wouldn't know anything about him. But it's just that... why would he do such a thing?

'_He sure is strange..._' Haruhi confirmed with her thoughts. _'When we think we know him, we are not close to actually know him the slightest bit. I do wonder if we're ever going to find out what kind of person Valor is...'_

"Say, Kyouya-sempai. Does Valor have a sibling?" the younger one of Hitachiins asked the elder male.

The black-haired raised an eyebrow, but remained his face expressionless. "According to the school's main profiles of its students, there's only one Kunisaki. He may have one from the outside of the school, but I've heard from a time ago that he's an only child."

Haruhi stared in disbelief at Kyouya, her eyes blinked rapidly. "But he told me that he had a sister..."

"That may be. Nobody can be sure with anything, if the issue's about our newest member."

"Yeah... You're probably right." Haruhi sat down on a chair nearby, thinking that Kyouya couldn't have been more right about the fact.

"I'm always right." The glass-character stated unaffected.

Nothing could be sure, and for some reason – knowing that Valor could have possibly lied to her, made her somewhat frustrated, even though the boy weren't so important to her. Heck, everyone would get pissed if someone lied to you, especially if someone was a friend. But she had barely known him, and it was not like the teen would open up to her anyway.

She thought about what happened the other day, as she frowned a bit sadly. She had never seen Valor like that before. The brown-haired guesses that no one had probably seen him sad other than her.

Kaoru glanced at Haruhi for a moment, and then looked back at the raven-haired teen. "Were you and Milord researching Valor as well? Since you know more than us, you and Milord might have started before us, right?"

Kyouya raised an eyebrow, "Since Kunisaki is a new recruit, I would have some information about him, and of course, I would know more about your classmate." He pushed back his glasses, when they slip a bit from his nose. "But yes, before Kunisaki started, Tamaki and I decided to find more about him."

"You guessed right, Kaoru." Haruhi responded in somewhat amaze, but still kinda dull.

Kaoru shook his head a bit, causing the two other to quirk eyebrows at him. "No... I didn't guess." The redhead admitted lowly, his head went a bit downwards to the floor before him. "Somehow, I just expected this."

Haruhi blinked at him, her eyes widening a bit. "Kaoru?"

Kaoru groaned, as he putted his hand on his forehead. He actually didn't know what he saying. Suddenly, he was starting to get frustrated, and his hand ran down on his face. "I just expected all this to happen! Everything that had been strange and confusing-!" a thought came to him so abruptly that it almost startled him. _'I only realized that I knew they would happen. I only realized it now.'_

"I don't know what you're saying, Kaoru." Haruhi said worried, putting her hand on his shoulder and squeezed him lightly. The redhead shook his head instead, looked up at Haruhi.

"No, never mind that... I was just lost for a moment." He took the brown-haired hand in his, and then let it slip off his shoulder. Haruhi glanced at him with uneasiness, as he turned around towards the door, standing there by the door frame until he turned his head over to her and Kyouya. "I'll go and get some fresh air. See you later at the club."

And the red-haired passed the door, leaving the two members of the host club by themselves. Haruhi took a look on Kyouya's laptop from the corner of her eyes, seeing the picture of Valor on the screen.

She narrowed her eyes slightly, _'What kind of guy is Valor?' _She turned the head back at where Kaoru had left.

She still didn't know what was between Hikaru and Valor, but now it seemed that Kaoru was also involved in some kind of way.

The others didn't seem to know or noticed anything strange.

She wondered... was she the only one to notice this?

* * *

Okay...

So I guess there's nothing to say again.

- Kunisaki


	15. Behind The Human Eye

**Chapter XV – Behind the Human Eye**

"_No, never mind that... I was just lost for a moment." He took the brown-haired hand in his, and then let it slip off his shoulder. Haruhi glanced at him with uneasiness, as he turned around towards the door, standing there by the door frame until he turned his head over to her and Kyouya. "I'll go and get some fresh air. See you later at the club."_

_And the red-haired passed the door, leaving the two members of the host club by themselves. Haruhi took a look on Kyouya's laptop from the corner of her eyes, seeing the picture of Valor on the screen._

_She narrowed her eyes slightly, __'What kind of guy is Valor?' __She turned the head back at where Kaoru had left. She still didn't know what was between Hikaru and Valor, but now it seemed that Kaoru was also involved in some kind of way. The other didn't seem to know or noticed anything strange._

_She wondered... was she the only one to notice this?_

* * *

His hands were trembling, as he held firmly on the washbasin.

He breathed desperately after the air, his head was turning. "What is happening…?" the redhead placed his hand on his face.

Kaoru glanced up at the mirror in front of him, his mirror image seemed tired and probably ill.

"Argh..!" Kaoru placed his hands on his head, almost stumbling over his own feet.

"What now!?" the redhead gritted his teeth, his palm grasping his reddish locks.

Recently, Kaoru had been getting flash backs of the last year of middle school, but only flashes about him, Hikaru… and of course Valor. Every time he re-experienced the moments, it pained his head. Some of the moments were about the first time Valor had showed up, or when their home teacher in middle school was making up groups in their class.

And other times… he saw terrifying things that he hadn't seen before.

Voices were flying around inside of his mind. His eyes went wide.

'_Two years ago… killed on that day.'_

"No way…" he whispered out, his face turning pale, "Who… was killed?"

'_Oh… you already know that.'_

The teen froze at once. Another ache came. The red-haired shut his eyes tightly by the pain.

'_What's the matter? Have you forgotten?'_

"Who are you?!" he screamed out. The pain was overwhelming. He turned the head up to the mirror.

'_Hee… Maybe you should ask yourself? Or perhaps, you should ask __**him**__…'_

The teen fell onto his knees. Kaoru gritted his teeth, "GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!"

"Kaoru?" a voice called bewildered. "What's the matter?!" The blond asked in shock.

Tamaki quickly ran towards him, helping the redhead up. Something about him made the president to blink his eyes.

…

"Kaoru?"

Kaoru shook his head slightly, "It's nothing. I'm fine, Tono." - Tamaki wasn't going to believe that.

"Hora, you're not fine. Let's get over to the nurse, okay?"

The teen nodded slowly, suddenly too quiet. He was awfully quiet.

The blond held Kaoru up by having his arm over his shoulders.

"Say…" Tamaki glanced a bit at him. "Why were you lying on the floor like-…?"

He swore that he saw a grin on Kaoru's lips.

The blond-head scratched his cheek, "Is something funny?"

The redhead laughed quietly. "I should have told Hikaru… I knew it. I must be an idiot for not telling him…" the twin mumbled out under his breath.

"What?" Tamaki turned the look fully down.

Somehow, he was getting nervous, but he didn't know the reason why. "What did you-? Did you say something?"

Kaoru shook his head a bit, "Iie… Nothing at all."

He turned his head up, his face somewhat emotionless.

"Tamaki… I have to find Hikaru."

* * *

"What do you want, Valor?" Hikaru started to walking as well, keeping the same distance from the other teen, as they made a circle around the desk with the laptop on.

This new attitude of Valor's didn't make anything better. He was creepy even without the harsh attitude. But now... the black-haired was suddenly all bigger. "Tch. I knew you were so fucking dense, but this crosses the limit." The black-haired tucked his palm down into his pockets. "Maybe he did erase everything from your mind."

"Who are you talking about!?" the red-haired shouted in annoyance. Even though this strange and creepy tension were around them, Hikaru couldn't feel any other than pissed off - due to that he didn't have the slightest clue of what the heck was happening.

Valor blinked a few times at him. "Ah...?" he smirked slightly. "So you really don't remember at all? Now that's bothersome." The black-head laughed a bit, "Damn that bastard..." He turned the look up at Hikaru, his eyes glaring sharply. "Look, if you really want to know, I suggest you should-..."

_Click._

-BANG!-

"G-...God..." Hikaru stuttered out, his eyes widened by shock.

Valor collapsed on his knees, as his face became pale and his eyes widened. The dark liquid ran down from his half-open mouth, as he faced the dust-filled floor with a thud. Hikaru stared... and he stared. An arm... he twitched in disbelief – a hand was sticking out of the wall, and nonetheless... that hand was pointing at him with a gun.

Hikaru lost the feeling of his legs and landed on his bottom. His eyes widened at the blood. Why did he see this kind of stuff so often?

The arm came fully out – then a shoulder – then a mask – and then the whole head.

Hikaru stared in total shock; he hadn't expected this to come.

The killer stepped out from the wall.

_"Sorry, my finger slipped..."_

"Y-you again!" the elder of the twins shouted, pointing at the killer. The black-clothed glanced at the redhead, watching him for a moment. "Why do you keep showing up!?" Hikaru demanded an answer, his hands found the side of his head. _'Was this also a freaking dream like the two other times?! Well, hopefully it was...'_

"_To save your ass, I guess?"_ The killer responded indifferently, grabbing after the teen's upper-arm and dragged Hikaru up to his feet again. _"Are you even aware of what's going on around you?"_

Somehow, the killer seemed pissed off over something.

Hikaru shook his head fiercely, before snaring back; "Yeah, I'm quite aware of that you just shot him down! Who wouldn't notice that!?" He threw a finger at the lying torso. He grimaced at once, when he saw the flowing blood running out.

"_I suppose you're finished with the blabbing. Let's get going before-..."_

The red-haired winced by a choke that came from the lying body. The black-head used his arms to lift himself up from the ground. "That was cheap..." Valor dried off the blood from his mouth, his head turning towards the killer.

"_Ah, gomen... but I thought everything was allowed in this game."_ The gun was once pointing at the glaring black-haired again, the killer's mask piercing with its narrowed eyes.

"Hee." Valor stood up from the floor, feeling the presence of the gun moving along with him. "Not the kind of visit I expected to get. What brings you here, shinigami-chan?"

"What?" Hikaru narrowed his eyes a bit.

"_I just dropped by to pick this idiot up."_ The black-dressed answered dully, pointing at the redhead behind. He obvious did not enjoy Valor's presence. The killer sneered behind his mask, _"But beating the shit out of you would be a pleasure."_

"Hold on! Am I missing something?" the redhead came up beside the killer. A grin plastered on Valor's face.

"I thought you have told him about us, Damián."

The gun came up to the black-haired's forehead, _"Shut up."_

"Let me ask you something, Hikaru." The black-haired turned his attention towards the Hitachiin. "Don't you think it's odd that you can see him?" Valor pointed at the black-dressed. Despite the gun was on his forehead, he remained calm and composed. "I mean, think about it. Humans wouldn't be able to see such guys as him, unless they're actually-…"

"_I said __**shut.up.**__"_ Valor's palm forced the gun towards the side, once the trigger got pulled. The bullet crashed into the window, smashing the glass into pieces.

Valor sneered at the killer, tightening the grip on the gun. "Leaving a scar? That would be ugly. I like this face too much."

A kick was directed towards his face, but the teen blocked it with his arm. The killer snarled; _"Then why don't you show your real face, so I could blow it off?"_

Valor chuckled once more, "You're so violent it's almost cute…" He turned the look at Hikaru again, ignoring the killer in front of him. "So, Hikaru… do you want to know _the truth?"_

The redhead swallowed down. The look Valor gave him was strangely intense. "What truth?" he mumbled out, uncertainty filling inside him. Valor smirked, "Well of course, the truth that you're actually-…"

A grip was suddenly upon Hikaru's shoulder, as he was dragged away from the black-head and towards the exit. The killer started to run, his palm tightening around Hikaru's wrist.

The black-haired tch'ed in disappointment, before he smirked in amusement, "I bet he wants to tell him instead."

As they ran, Hikaru saw the halls were turning darker. He started to shiver by the sudden coldness, which froze the entire place. A crash came nearby, causing the two to stumble with their feet. The both of them threw glances at where the sound came from. _"Damn it!"_ The killer hissed in annoyance, quickly getting up again. The redhead's wrist was caught again. The black-dressed muttered lowly. _"I swear to god that I'm gonna kill that freak to Valor..." _the killer snarled under his breath, dragging on Hikaru.

Hikaru was questioning about why in the world he was involved in this. He hadn't gotten a proper answer that could explain all this supernatural stuff. He figured that he wouldn't get one at this moment. But to think that Kunisaki had something to with the killer... - It was rather unsettling.

"W-where are we going?!" Hikaru yelled bewildered, feeling how his hand was getting numb. "Let go of me!"

"_I'm afraid that I have to refuse to your command this time."_ The killer kept dragging him down the halls.

"Then tell me what the heck is going on!" – And what did he mean by this time?

"_I will explain it later to you. The gate is still open – I have to close it before-"_

"Close what?" Hikaru twitched in annoyance, tearing the grip off from his wrist. "Is this another one of those dreams agai-?!"

He shut immediately up, as he felt a powerful force against his cheek.

_"What's the matter? You shouldn't feel any pain, since you're dreaming, right_?"

Hikaru stumbled over his feet, the punch was incredibly strong.

_"Tch. Why do I also have save this idiot?"_ The killer muttered out in irritation. _"If it weren't for him, I swear I would have killed you at once."_

'_WHO IS –HIM-?!'_

Hikaru winced when his tried to touch the burning place, gritting his teeth in pain. "W-what the hell did you do that for?! I thought you wouldn't harm me, but save me like all the other times!"

"_Oh, don't get me wrong. As soon I finish off the business with Valor, you're the next one on the list."_

"..." The redhead stared blankly at him.

"_!"_ the killer suddenly pushed Hikaru down to the floor. A blow busted in the next second, the wall bursting into parts and dust.

Hikaru opened his eyes; "AH!!" he was shocked to see the creepy mask right in front of him.

"_Great... They're here_." The killer turned his head over his shoulder. Whatever 'they' were, it was impossible for Hikaru to see anything.

"Stay down." The killer warned him unaffected, rising up from the scared teen.

"W-what the hell...?!" Hikaru breathed out, as he tried to sit properly, his hand placed on where his heart was.

Growling sounds were nearby, Hikaru recognized those sounds at once. He swallowed the lump in his throat, remembering the first time he was pulled into the world between Life and Death.

The killer stood calmly, _"Sounds like we're getting a bunch of them this time."_ He stated in annoyance, pulling out two identical guns from his dark coat.

"_This is going to get messy."_

* * *

"Kaoru!" a suddenly call came, and it was nearby.

The commoner saw it was sempai, who was standing by the door. He frequently threw glances in the room in search of the younger twin.

"Haruhi... Kyouya." Tamaki stated out, when he noticed the two teens by the desk. "Have... have you seen Kaoru?" he breathed out a bit exhausted.

"What's the matter, sempai?" Haruhi asked bewildered.

Tamaki bit his lip, "I'm not sure. But there's something about Kaoru... Something that-!"

"Something's going on?" a voice came from behind.

Haruhi quickly turned around in shock, seeing her black-haired classmate stand there with a smile on. No, wait... the smile looked like a smirk.

"Valor." The boy turned the look at her, as he still held on his smile.

Haruhi blinked. Did she mistake the smile?

"Valor, have you seeing Kaoru?" Tamaki asked quickly the teen. Haruhi and Kyouya threw the look at the president.

The girl's face went pale, while Valor was silent.

"Kaoru?" the black-head tapped his chin thoughtfully. Kyouya sharply looked at Kunisaki.

Valor scratched through his hair, his face seemed somewhat worried. "Did something happen to him?"

"Well, he was acting strange. I just thought that you would know, since you've been hanging out with him." the blond knitted his brows uneasily.

"Gees, sempai..." Valor grimaced in worry. "I don't know where he is. Isn't he with Hikaru-kun?"

...

"Ah, never mind." Tamaki sighed out in relief. "He did say he was looking for Hikaru. So, I guess he must have found him. Hopefully."

Haruhi grabbed after the blond's arm. "Cho do, sempai! What's with Kaoru? You said that he acted strange?"

"Haruhi, you seem frustrated." Her black-haired classmate knitted his brows together. The commoner girl stared at him, her face getting pale. It seemed like Valor just eyed her warningly.

He asked carefully, "You know something, or...?"

Tamaki glanced at Kyouya, and so did the glass-character as well.

"I'll go search after Kaoru, okay?" Tamaki smiled to everyone, "Haruhi, my daughter! Would you like to search after your brother with me?"

The girl snapped back from her thought. "Uhm, s-sure!" She nodded slightly.

"Great!" the blond rejoiced happily, his hand grabbed after her wrist.

Soon, both of them were out of the third music room, leaving Kyouya alone with Valor.

"Well... I guess I'll head towards the library." Valor smiled a bit the black-haired teen.

"See you at club time, sempai."

Kyouya said nothing to Kunisaki.

But he kept watching the teen, until Valor wasn't inside the room any longer.

Like Haruhi and the Hitachiin twins... he had bad feelings about this new recruit.

* * *

The killer let his gun disappear out of the blue, glancing around at the destroyed hall.

"_I guess that was it."_ the black-clothed clapped his hands, after he had closed the gate.

He turned the look at Hikaru, his palm grabbed after the teen's shoulder, lifting him up from the ground. _"Time for you to get back; it's not safe for you to be here."_

Hikaru threw his eyes at the killer, slightly annoyed that he didn't get any answers again.

"Shinigami-san… since we're in the middle world, I have to ask you something."

The other crossed his arms, _"And that may be?"_ he responded indifferently.

"The thing is… I don't even know who or what you are, let alone what your face is like. But…" The redhead knitted his brows, suddenly afraid to know all these things.

"_But?"_ The killer waited.

The teen closed his eyes. "I can't help but feel something familiar about you."

"…"

Hikaru reopened his amber eyes, turning his head up, "Who… who exactly are you?"

…

The black-clothed sighed slightly,_ "I suppose you have the right to know." _He turned fully towards Hikaru.

_"Very well then." _The killer's palm reached up towards his pale mask.

Hikaru held his breath, as the hand moved closer the mask.

"_Number 564, second levelled shinigami... lawless."_ The killer stopped his hand, hearing the voice that had spoken his code number. Both of them turned their heads over their shoulders. The person, who called, walked slowly towards them, his hand holding onto a scythe. It laid it upon his shoulder. _"Under the name of the Court, I shall reap your soul from that shell for yourself."_

Hikaru blinked at the intruder, seeing another mask that looked like the killer's.

But unlike the killer's emotionless expression, this one was sad.

Hikaru could feel the killer sneering behind his mask, _"When are you going to leave me alone, Raul?"_

"_Until you're locked up, of course."_ Raul answered dully. _"Besides, Damián... you just ran off from our battle. We need to finish it off."_

"Damián...?" Hikaru took a quick glance at the killer.

"_I don't have time for this."_ The black-dressed snarled, moving up in front of Hikaru.

Raul blinked twice at the teen behind. _"The kid, I see... he surely reminds me of __**him**__."_

The killer gritted his teeth, _"Don't fucking mention about __**him**__...!"_

The other shinigami sighed, preparing his scythe. _"You're too aggressive to do anything. Either way, it seems like I also have to take him to the Court too-..."_

"_DON'T YOU DARE TO TOUCH HIM!"_ the killer screamed, his voice filled with anger. His hands fisted around his guns, as he pulled them out.

Raul smirked. _"You're too slow."_

Hikaru felt his heart skip a beat, once the scythe forced down on the killer's mask.

_"Your playtime is over."_ The dull-looking shinigami said in a sharp tone, his scythe pressing on the middle of the killer's mask.

Damián had held his guns up to Raul's face, his hands were shaking. His pale mask cracked right in the middle, parting up in two pieces.

"N-no way..." Hikaru gaped with widened eyes. He couldn't believe what he saw.

The two halves of the mask felt to the floor, the killer lost his balance and crashed onto his knees. His arms were loose, like as if his guns were too heavy. Unbelievable as it was, the killer was suddenly so... so fragile.

_"I told you before. You're much more weaker if you're losing your cool."_ The other shinigami stepped forward.

_"Well then..."_ Raul aimed his scythe at the black-clothed, the sharp side near his throat. _"It was nice to know you."_

"NO!" Hikaru busted out, his arm reaching after the killer.

Raul felt himself frozen on the place, as the redhead pulled Damián's back onto his chest.

Raul watched them at the moment.

Hikaru started clapping his hand on the killer's face lightly.

"Ka-… Kaoru!?" Hikaru gazed with a shocked look, his hand on the familiar boy's cheek. His fingers touched his familiar red hair.

"What is-…? Kaoru, wake up! Please!"

The black-dressed fluttered his eyes open, wincing when he felt his head hurting. Hikaru touched his twin's forehead, feeling the heat from him.

His half-open eyes gazed at his older brother. "Hi-… H-Hika…Hikaru…?"

Hikaru found it weird that his own cheeks were burning.

Kaoru blinked for a second, his mind unclear as he gazed at the older twin. By the next second, his eyes sharpened and he sent a fist forcefully against Hikaru's cheek.

"OW!" The redhead winched, his hands upon the burning place. "What was that all about?!"

The other teen sat up, his eyes looking on his fist. "Sorry. It was a reflex." Kaoru stated unaffectedly, as Hikaru widened his eyes.

"WHAT?!" He was about to shout back, until something hit him inside his head. "My GOD! I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT YOU'RE A MURDER!!" the older twin yelled with his palms on the side of his head. He hadn't thought that his brother was a dangerous killer and shot people down, while wearing a creepy mask and play murder. "Have you been keeping this-…! This SECRET from me?!"

Kaoru twitched his brow.

Hikaru went on with the yelling, "Y-you can't go killing people! That's wrong! What would the others say if-?!"

"GOD! WOULD YOU JUST SHUT UP!?" A grip found up to his throat, pushing him hardly up against the wall.

He was lifted up, so that he couldn't touch the ground with his feet.

_"Damián, don't lose your control, or else he might-..."_ Raul warned him, but he was cut off.

"SHUT UP, RAUL!" Kaoru snapped at the shinigami, "I'M NOT FREAKING DONE YET!"

He turned his eyes back on Hikaru, glaring with hatred at his twin. "I'm tired of your density, you hear?" The teen tch'ed in annoyance, the grip tightened. "Keep babbling like that and I swear I would enjoy watching you losing your breath! So what if I'm a murder?! Got a problem with that!?"

"K-Kaoru...!" Hikaru choked out, trying to pull off the grip. He found it useless to do so. Kaoru was unbelievable strong.

His grasp on his brother's wrist became weaker.

He breathed out, "Kaoru... Y-you're hurting me...!"

"..." the teen in black winced a bit, his eyes starting to flicker with shock.

"You're hurting-...!" the red-haired felt his hands slipping off.

'_Hikaru!'_

He gritted his teeth, loosening his hand on the redhead's throat. Hikaru was dropped to floor; he started choking after his breath desperately.

The redhead looked down on him, his hand twitching.

Soon, his hand fisted and slammed into the wall.

_"I told you so."_ Raul sighed out heavily, his scythe placed by his shoulder again.

The black-dressed cursed under his breath, "Damn that-...that bastard! How can he STILL get in my way?!"

Just who was he talking about? – Hikaru felt another grip on his collar, his back slamming against the wall. "Listen," Kaoru spoke darkly; the other redhead was lost for words. "I'm not Kaoru, but on the same time, I am. The fact that I'm your twin brother is both correct and incorrect."

"I-I don't understand...!" Hikaru shuddered out. But then his eyes widened, "Does that mean you're Kaoru's other s-...?"

A grin was slowly plastered on Damián's lips. "I'm his darker side."

The elder twin widened his amber eyes. "H-his darker-?"

"Exactly," the Hitachiin was free again, as he felt his knees going weak. The killer let his palm pull on his reddish locks, causing the elder twin's face to rise up; their faces a few inches away from one another. "I'm the dark one, who absolutely **hates your guts**."

He could only stare horrified at this guy, blinking with his eyes a few times. "This has to be a dream…" Hikaru placed a hand on his own face.

Kaoru rolled his eyes in annoyance, removing the grip from Hikaru's hair. "Still talking nonsense about dreams...!"

Hikaru glanced a bit at the black-dressed, asking very carefully and scared - "Why were you called Damián?"

"_It's his devil-name."_ Hikaru turned the look at the shinigami.

Raul glanced down on the redhead, while Kaoru was kicking the wall, slamming his fist into it. _"That's what he get's called by other shinigamis."_

Hikaru widened his eyes, "Wait a minute! Does that mean Kunisaki's a shinigami too?!" he abruptly remembered when Valor had called him 'Damián'.

- And he thought it was just a bad joke.

Hikaru's mind was filled with questions, while his mouth was completely unable to speak.

The thing with Valor and Damian – a darker soul – monsters that ate souls – the world called Intervalo – suddenly, he had experienced something so terrifying, something the mankind didn't have any clue of or hadn't thought existed. His twin brother,  Kaoru - smooth and sweet talking Kaoru – he had a darker shadow, who Hikaru himself didn't think existed. And that shadow entirely hated him, which was not Kaoru. Or... was it?

"_You probably want to know to what Valor has to do with you?"_

The redhead lifted his head up, gazing for a moment. Even though he was uncertain of actually **want** to know, he slowly nodded his head.

"_Well, it's quite simple."_ Raul replied, taking a seat on the air – which was absolutely absurd, because no one could sit down on air. But he was still floating. It looked like he _did_ sit on something with his legs crossed and his elbow placed on his knee. _"Since Valor didn't die, when Damián shot him down, he can't be a human."_

"How did you know that Kaoru shot him down?" Hikaru asked bewildered. The shinigami went quiet, his dull mask piercing at the teen.

The redhead sweat-dropped a bit, "Sorry... please continue..."

_"I know that it sounds strange, but it's true. Your classmate, Kunisaki, is not a human-being – but a darker soul."_

"So, he's like you guys?" the redhead blinked in confusion.

Hikaru felt suddenly nervous. He could sense his twin brother twitching in annoyance by his question.

Raul nodded his head. _"Basically, yes. Though, humans believe that they have one soul, the truth is that they have actually two. Hence, the main soul and the darker soul."_

The teen stared blankly. He shook his head fiercely. "Whatever! Can't you turn Kaoru back to normal?"

The shinigami scratched through his hair. _"Well, I did try when I cracked his mask. Usually, it would make him to switch the command back to the main soul, but..."_ Both of them turned their heads towards the angry teen, while Kaoru proceeded on beat the crap out of the poor wall.

"_There are some exceptions..."_ Raul said as the last part. He picked out a golden pocket-watch from his pocket.

Did all shinigamis have those watches?

_"Ah, but don't worry. Your brother will eventually turn back. How he does it is quite the question."_

And should Hikaru NOT be worried?

The Hitachiin eyed the shinigami a bit. Hikaru glared harshly at Raul, "I thought you were supposed to kill Kaoru."

Even if the elder twin hated to say his brother's name with the word kill in a sentence, he had to ask.

"If it was an order, why did you stop?"

There was a pause between them.

Raul turned the look fully down on the redhead. _"I guess I was supposed to kill him..."_

...

"Somehow, you remind me of someone..." the redhead stated with narrowed eyes. "Whose dark soul are you?"

Raul stayed silent for a second, until he opened his pocket-watch.

_"That... I can't tell you. It's a strict rule for us shinigamis to reveal our identity."_

The teen raised an eyebrow. "What makes Kaoru different?"

"_He's lawless."_

Raul turned on the watch's hands; he closed it again with a click.

_"Maa... You'll head back now, Hitachiin Hikaru. I'll take care of the rest here."_

Somehow... Hikaru couldn't understand why he didn't take the situation so badly.

This was indeed insane.

* * *

please review?


	16. Confronting The Dark

**Chapter XVI – Confronting The Dark  
**

"_Somehow, you remind me of someone..." the redhead stated with narrowed eyes._

_"Whose dark soul are you?"_

_Raul stayed silent for a second, until he opened his pocket-watch._

_"That... I can't tell you. It's a strict rule for us shinigamis to reveal our identity."_

_The teen raised an eyebrow. "What makes Kaoru different?"_

"_He's lawless." - was the answer._

_Raul turned on the watch's hands._

_He closed it again with a click._

_"Maa... You'll head back now, Hitachiin Hikaru. I'll take care of the rest here."_

_Somehow... Hikaru couldn't understand why he didn't take the situation so badly._

_This was indeed insane._

_--_

Hikaru fluttered his eyes open.

He lifted his hand to hide his tired eyes from the light. A figure stood nearby him, but Hikaru couldn't recognize this person.

Everything seemed so blurry to him...

"Pathetic."

The redhead widened his eyes at once. He sat up with a shocked look, as he reached with his palm after the left side of his chest.

He threw the look at the teen beside him. The person had his back fronting the elder twin.

Hikaru blinked.

"Kaoru...?"

As his twin turned around to face him, Hikaru could feel this strange and unfamiliar tension around them.

- It was... cold.

"Feeling better?"

- And uncaring.

Kaoru walked slowly towards the chair on the other side. He sat down on it with his legs crossed. A somewhat coldness was around the younger Hitachiin, a coldness Hikaru didn't thought existed.

Kaoru stared indifferently at him. "The **devil's** cut out your tongue or what?"

Hikaru found himself jerking backwards in astound, his eyes staring with disbelief at his unusually cold brother.

"No." Hikaru answered unsurely.

Why was he suddenly nervous around Kaoru?

'_This is not the hallway we were at...'_ He thought to himself.

Hikaru realized that he was sitting on a bed with a blanket over him. Furthermore, he was in the school's nursery with Kaoru. The nurse didn't seem to be around too. So, he was basically alone with his brother in this room for ill students. The redhead turned the look around.

"Why are we here?" he asked dumbly, causing the younger one of them to tch.

Hikaru grimaced a face. "What's the matter? I just asked."

"And he's still slow at realizing..." Kaoru mumbled out with an annoyed expression.

The elder Hitachiin stared in puzzlement at his twin brother. This unfamiliar attitude of his brother's... it was not like Kaoru. No... Hikaru had seen him with this harsh attitude, but... where and when?

Hikaru widened his eyes.

_He's..._

Hikaru stiffened.

He swallowed down the lump in his throat.

_...Not Kaoru..._

Hikaru looked up at the sitting teen.

_He's not Kaoru... but..._

"Who..."

_...But still..._

"...are you?"

_...He was still Kaoru._

Kaoru eyed the red-haired teen in bed.

He closed his eyes slightly. "What are you talking about? **I'm Kaoru**." he reopened his ambers and switched his legs.

The redhead rested his chin on his folded palms. His elbows were placed on his knee. Kaoru smiled softly back at Hikaru, which was almost insanely cute.

"Did you hit your head that badly?"

Hikaru stared dumbfounded at him. "N-no..."

Why did he ask who Kaoru was? It's a rather stupid question to ask someone they'd known for years.

The younger redhead rose up from his seat, still wearing that smile, which made him look so adorable.

Kaoru walked slowly towards his twin brother.

Hikaru found himself frozen on the bed, as he gazed at the redhead. The blanket was suddenly too heavy for the elder twin to pull off.

Hikaru shivered a bit. Although the smile was adorable, something was missing in Kaoru's famous, sweet smile.

It was not...warm.

"How could you fall for that...?" A grip was firmly around the older brother's shirt.

Hikaru widened his eyes in shock

"Who do you think I am, Hikaru?" Kaoru grinned scornfully at him. He tightened the grip on Hikaru's collar. "Are you even sure that this is Kaoru?"

Hikaru stared back at his twin. "What...?"

"He's not here."

He blinked. "He's not...?"

The younger redhead tch'ed. "Are you Japanese or retarded? Kaoru's **not** here anymore. I've taken over."

The elder twin kept blinking.

What did his brother mean by 'Kaoru's not here'? He was here. He was right in front of him!

"What the heck are you talking about, Kaoru?" he stared in confusion at the red-haired.

How could Kaoru not be Kaoru?

He was pushed hardly backwards. Hikaru felt something like hard mental against the back of his neck, when he hit the end of the bed. "I-...tai!" the redhead pressed his teeth against each other. He opened his amber eyes, only to see his cold brother crawling over him.

Hikaru stiffened, seeing his twin be so... close.

"Have you already forgotten, Hitachiin Hikaru?" Kaoru snared in annoyance. "You're little baby brother lost. I'm the new ruler of this body!"

Hikaru was speechless. He could not say a word to Kaoru and his new harsh personality. The older Hitachiin felt palms crawling towards his neck.

"I've always hated you, Hitachiin Hikaru..."

Hikaru shook. Those words were too much for him. It was most because, the words were from his twin brother.

Kaoru sneered dangerously. His eyes glared into the elder twin's ambers.

"Hikaru... are you afraid to **die**...?"

The younger redhead tightened the grip around his throat.

"...!" Hikaru widened his eyes at once. He clenched his hands around Kaoru's wrists.

"Ka-...Kaoru! I can't...!" he breathed out in fear. "...c-can't... breathe...!"

"_No! Please! Don't hurt him!"_

Kaoru almost jumped with a scared look on his face. He shut his eyes immediately, while gritting his teeth.

"Tch! Still protective..." the redhead hissed lowly in irritation.

He loosed his grip on Hikaru's collar. Kaoru glared down on Hikaru, his voice snarled with disgust in his tone.

"Be grateful that he's still has a soft spot on you." The red-haired got off the bed, his hands tucked into his pockets.

"..." Hikaru breathed in and out. His eyes stared with fright into the invisible air.

"Unfortunately, we'll see each other again." Kaoru said annoyed.

Hikaru rose up. "Wait! Where are you going?!"

"Out." The younger one responded, before he left the room.

"**Where** out?!"

Kaoru tch'ed. "Just out. Why would you even care?"

"Why? Why **wouldn't** I?!" he yelled irritated back, as the door closed shut.

He could still feel his shoulders shaking from the shock and the fear of his twin choking him to death. What kind of sick dream was this...?

'_Still talking nonsense about dreams...'_

If it wasn't a dream... then what was it? The redhead could still feel his brother's cold gaze. But this cold gaze was not Kaoru's... it couldn't be. No, it couldn't.

"He's gonna... get back." Hikaru stated in a whisper, his voice was almost sounding hollow.

"He's getting back again."

'_Kaoru's not here anymore! I've taken over.'_

No... He didn't believe it... he didn't want to believe it! Stupid dream!

'_What's the matter? You shouldn't be able to feel any pain, since you're dreaming, right?'_

Hikaru shut his eyes tightly, as he sat there on the bed unmoved.

'_I'm the dark one, who absolutely __**hates your guts**__.'_

The redhead curled into a ball.

He places his hands on his face.

"What's going on..?!"

--

Tamaki paced in the hallway with uneasiness. He knitted his brows together.

His eyes kept searching after a certain pair of twins.

"Where could they have gone off to?" he wondered out loudly.

"Senpai." The blond turned around to the voice. It was none other than his 'daughter', Haruhi.

"Did you find them?" Tamaki asked as soon as she came up to him. Haruhi shook her head slightly. The president sighed out a deep breath, while he closed his violet eyes. "I'm really getting worried of those two..." the blond stated lowly, "A lot of things have happened to them lately."

And indeed a lot of things had happened. But he wasn't sure of why.

To see Kaoru smile so wickedly, when he found him inside the bathroom, was rather unsettling.

Tamaki knitted his brows again. He feared that something was involved into this...

Haruhi glanced at the senior.

She saw the serious face he had on, which he never really often putted on.

"Let's try this way, senpai." Haruhi suggested. Tamaki looked down to her for a second and then nodded in understanding.

Both of them turned the direction the commoner girl had pointed. They walked a bit down the hallway.

"What's the matter, senpai?" Haruhi asked a bit confused.

The president scratched his cheek. "Iie-..! I'm fine, Haruhi." He chuckled a bit lowly. "I'm just worried of Kaoru... he didn't seem to be fine, after he left to find Hikaru."

The two turned at a corner of the hall.

Haruhi made an uneasy expression. What Kaoru had said to both her and Kyouya, it worried her. What did he mean by 'expected all the strange and confusing things to happen'? Was he talking about Valor? About Hikaru's sudden faints? His brother's unrestrained actions? The thing between the twins and the new black-haired student?

The girl wasn't sure of what to believe.

The brown-haired stopped surprised up, when Tamaki had stopped her from walking further. She glanced up to him. "Tamaki-senpai..?" the blond didn't reply to her. He was staring forward with a somewhat shocked look. Haruhi turned the look forth. When she saw what the blond had seen, she felt herself going silent as well.

Tamaki blinked with surprise of what he saw.

A student was getting out of the nursery room.

The teen closed the door soundlessly, while his head was hanging downcast. He seemed all pale and almost lifeless.

Tamaki opened his mouth slightly.

"...Hikaru?"

The redhead paused of a moment. He turned the look up to see who had called him.

Hikaru gazed emptily at the two host members, until he recognized the blond senior and the honoured student in his class.

Hikaru blinked slightly. "Tono... Haruhi..." the redhead noticed their concerned gaze.

He quickly flashed a bright grin towards them. "Nanisora? Why are you two looking at me with such troubled looks?"

He came up to them and turned both of them around.

"Demo, Hikaru-...!" the blond blurted out worriedly.

"What, Tono? Can't it wait to later?" Hikaru started to shove them towards the third music room.

He kept grinning to them. "Hurry up! We're getting late for the host club!"

"Hikaru, is something wrong?" Haruhi asked with her knitted eyebrows.

"Daijoubu!" he told them reassuringly with his large smile. "There's nothing to worry about. If you're looking for Kaoru, he went home."

"He did what?" well, the girl did find the younger redhead kinda out of it. Perhaps Kaoru needed a break. But she was starting to get nervous of Hikaru too.

She wanted to know why Hikaru was acting so cheerful.

The elder Hitachiin stated firmly, "Now, no more questions, okay? We're late, remember?"

--

"It seems you're little plan didn't work."

The black-haired turned around his head towards the person behind him.

He grinned slightly to him.

"Well, how's it going? It's been a while since we saw each other."

The other person came up to the black-haired. "I want you to answer me some questions."

The black-head shrugged his shoulders, his mouth still curling upwards.

"Not even a 'nice to see you'..." he chuckled a bit to himself.

He looked up at the person with a slight smirk. "It depends on what you ask about."

"What do you want to do with Damián?"

The black-head widened his smile.

"Hee? You want to know that?"

"..." the person eyed him. "Answer now."

"That is... I can't tell you." The black-haired laughed a bit.

He started to walk around the other person.

"But I can tell you that my 'little plan' didn't fail."

The person quivered his eyebrow.

"How come? Damián didn't get caught."

"Not literately... but," the black-head grinned a wide smile at him. "I actually got him where I want."

"..." The person kept his emotionless face on him.

"And now..." the black-haired's smile turned into a devilish smirk, "he's stuck where he can't escape."

--

When Hikaru arrived back to his home, the house seemed so empty for all the sudden.

Hikaru walked up on the stairs and headed towards their bedroom. He grabbed after the doorknob. "..." the red-haired stared down on the knob with uneasiness. He shook his head at once. Why suddenly stop? He opened the door carefully.

"Kaoru...?" the teen blinked with surprise.

"... Not here." Hikaru stared inside the room. That was...odd?

The redhead closed the door again. He started walking down the hallway. Why wasn't Kaoru inside their room?

Perhaps he didn't...

Hikaru started to run downwards on the stairs. He searched inside the living room. No, his brother wasn't there too. Maybe the kitchen? Or their game basement? He blinked his eyes. "Edo..." he tried to ask a waitress, who came by with a bunch of towels. "Did Kaoru get back here from school?"

The waitress blinked at him. "Yes, Hikaru-sama. He's up stairs if you're looking for him."

"Thanks." He smiled a bit, before running up to the staircase again.

The waitress stared wonderingly at the redhead, but let the wondering wear off and continued on with her task.

The Hitachiin once again moved up at the stairs.

_'If he's upstairs and not inside our room... where could he be then?'_

He widened his eyes a bit. Hikaru started to run faster, as he headed further downwards at the hall.

He reached the end of the corridor and grasped after the doorknobs.

The doors swung open. Hikaru breathed in and out heavily.

A sigh was heard by the teen's ears. There on the couch, was his twin lying with a book above him. The younger redhead stated out in annoyance, "And I thought I could get some peace and quiet in this library..." He shut the book firmly with his palm. Kaoru sat up and placed the literature down on the small wooden table beside him.

"So..." he stared indifferently at the elder twin. "What do you want now?"

Hikaru clenched his hands. "You weren't there."

The other boy raised his eyebrow. He crossed his legs. "There?" a large grin was slowly rising on his lips. "Oh, you mean the club?"

The older teen didn't like the way his twin was mocking.

"Hee... I would rather use the time to something else than spending it with those people."

The elder one couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"**Those people?** Kaoru, you make them sound like-!"

"Damián."

The older one blinked.

"My name." The younger redhead sighed out with a slight irritated face. "Or have you really forgotten already?"

No. Hikaru did remember. He remembered about the shinigamis, the parallel world, and Kaoru's darker side. He remembered everything. He just didn't want it all to be real. "I don't care! You're still Kaoru!"

The other one glared harshly. "Tch. Don't you get it? Kaoru's gone."

Hikaru almost jumped at the red-haired. "Kaoru! Are you in there?!" he grasped after the teen's upper arms and begun to shook. He called after his brother in hope to get a glimpse. "I know you're inside somewhere! Just-! **Please** give me a sign!"

The other teen twitched. "What a pain you are-...!" Damián grabbed after Hikaru's arms and broke from his grasp. "Stop being such a nuisance! You're really getting on my nerves!" the darker side of Kaoru pushed Hikaru hardly into the bookcase, causing some of the books to fall off from the shelves.

He grabbed after his collar.

"If you think that is going to get your brother back, then you're completely wrong. Your twin's not going to return!"

Hikaru gritted his teeth. That made the elder twin to lose his sense of control. He grasped after the dark side's collar and pushed him down on the floor.

"SHUT UP!" the redhead snarled. His fist tightened the grip. "Shut up or I-!"

"You what? Hit me?"

Hikaru twitched his face.

"Heh," Damián cracked a scornful grin. "Bet you can't even harm me, unless... you'd harm your dear brother too."

This fellow couldn't be Kaoru. How could his twin be a god of Death, anyway?

Damián smirked in amusement. "It depends... do you want me to be Kaoru?"

The other redhead widened his eyes. _How did he-?!_

"No." Hikaru was surprised that he would come with an answer in such a rush.

"Figures." The other chuckled. Hikaru didn't want this shinigami to be his twin brother. And the fact that he sounded like him, let alone chuckled in the same way like Kaoru always did. It was unbelievable... and scary. "I want my twin back now." Hikaru whispered under his breath.

Damián sneered, causing the redhead to shiver.

"Oh, but I am here." He smiled softly, titling his head to the side. Hikaru widened his eyes again.

"Whenever you like it or not, I'm still your dear brother, Hikaru."

The redhead stared dumbfounded.

There was something about Damián, which was terrifyingly familiar.

"I'm just the bad side of me. What's the matter? Don't like it?"

"Bastard...!" Hikaru hissed between his teeth. He wasn't going to get confused by this guy saying he either is or not Kaoru.

He wasn't going to get traumatic.

"Just give him back! This is your entire fault!"

The other teen scowled. "Oh, so it's now my fault?" He snared in annoyance. "Don't be ridiculous..."

"I want him back now!"

"Tch. Keep it up like that, but you won't get any further."

"Then how am I supposed to get him back?!"

Hikaru certainly didn't like the way his evil twin was sneering.

"**How** you'd say?" the other red-haired grinned in amusement. "Well, what about a game then?"

The older redhead quivered his brow. "A... game?"

"If you can guess who is who, you'll get your dear twin back and I'll go away. But if you can't..."

Hikaru swallowed down. "If I can't?"

Damián smirked at him.

"You'll never see him again."

--

"Goddamn it!" the masked person hissed between his teeth. "What the hell is Raul thinking?!"

"You should better calm down..." the second masked stated boringly, while lying on the giant-sized skeleton and polished his scythe.

"He's just choosing what he thinks is right."

The first one turned around with a glare. "What he so-called thinks is right, is not according to the court's rules!" he yelled angrily at the lazy-looking guy.

"He let Damián get away! AGAIN!"

"Keep your mouth shut." The second masked mumbled out in annoyance. "You're too noisy..."

A twitch. "Fine! If you're not gonna do anything to this, I am!" the masked stepped away in irritation.

"Blasted lazy-ass...!" he hissed under his breath.

The second one chuckled in amusement.

How was he supposed to find Damián? Raul could have hid him away from the court's sight. But then again... it was a wonder how Raul COULD hid the lawless shinigami, when the court's sight could see everything.

"Good luck with that!" he kept grinning, while seeing the angry shinigami stomp away from him.

The other shinigami made himself get comfortable on the large skeleton's huge bones.

Behind his mask, he closed his eyes slightly, while breathing out a heavy sigh.

"Although..." he said lowly and more to himself.

"I do wonder where the old man had hid him..."

--

Nothing much to say... see you in the next chapter.

- Kunisaki


End file.
